So I pulled up to a stop sign yesterday and looked left to see if the coast was clear and there she was, my hero, Goldie Hawn, just standing there, quietly, in her yoga clothes, simply waiting to cross the street.
I had to take a double take. Could this really be the woman who I have admired my whole life? The woman who is in no small way the influence that has me even writing this blog, just standing there, a few feet away from me? The posture and the blonde hair were unmistakable, then she turned her head a little, yep that’s her, my heart skipped a beat.
I wanted to jump right out of the car and give her a hug.
I wanted to tell her that from the first time I saw her when I was a kid I just somehow knew the wisdom, compassion and strength that lurked behind that giggle, that every time she spoke she consistently said things that made me feel better about my world, that she exemplified everything I aspired to be, my perfect role model.
I wanted to tell her that it was when I saw her interview with Barbara Walters some 20 years ago where she refused to complain about the lack of roles for older woman and instead simply said “where are the women writers? do we really expect men to write these complex older female roles?” that I agreed with her and it was in that moment I committed myself to being a screenwriter and wrote my first screenplay with the idea of her in the starring role.
I wanted to tell her all those things, my heart was swelling, but luckily sanity prevailed, and instead I just smiled lovingly at the lady who meant so much to me and unceremoniously turned right, moved to tears by the coincidence that I had just written about her last week in my blog.
Is this a sign that we will one day meet? Or was that my one shot and I didn’t take it? I don’t really know, but I am pretty sure the way to meet your favorite role model is not by accosting her on the street, so I will just have to wait to see what fate has in store. 🙂
Either way this moment put me in touch with the thought of just how valuable it is to have role models, which leads me to…
Industry Tip #11
When going after big dreams, study the lives and work of the people you admire most, as their life examples can offer a valuable treasure map guiding you in the direction you want to go.
Who is your hero and why? Would love to hear your stories.
In the meantime, I leave you with another one of my favorite Tallulah Talks Back. In this one she is being a role model calling out Will Infantine on his infantile suggestion that men deserve better pay than women because they take greater risks. Tallulah’s response? What could be riskier than pursuing a career as a talking mime, darling? Lol
