Delia was the type of woman whose booming laughter entered the room long before she did. Tall, willowy with long blonde hair & a sunny disposition, her lighthearted energy defied the upper level account exec title upon her office door. Although she must have been much closer to the 50 mark, she embodied that eternal 20 something California Girl vibe & a mega watt smile that made men melt. I was the newbie country girl in town, straight off the turnip truck, who had just landed a 32 line phone receptionist position at a sports film company where Delia ruled supreme. As I hustled to conquer correct extension numbers & office etiquette amongst a roster of high maintenance cameramen & filmmakers, Delia was the lifeboat of sunshine that kept me afloat.
Having just started a new gig as a singer for a rock band, the last place I wanted to be was at the 9 to 5, but a girl's gotta eat & sarcasm on the daily with Delia made it far less painful. Pursued by independently wealthy bachelors on the regular, Delia was most fond of international skiers & world famous winter sport athletes with names like Franz & Wolfgang. She insisted that we work out a secret coding system for prospective suitors who would often visit her at work. "Hans is here to see you..don't forget you have a late dinner meeting with Mr. Jones" meant, NO WAY, not this guy! While , "No, your dinner meeting has just cancelled & you'll be free all evening!" meant red hot hottie alert!! I felt a sense of entitlement with our secret messaging & a fondness for Delia who seemed to take me under her protective wing in a male dominated & challenging work environment. I looked forward to Friday afternoons when these fancy suitors would typically visit. All so eager to meet the mystical Delia, they looked right past me. I assume my punk rocker, bleach blonde pixie haircut & alternative attire might have been the perfect mix of quirk & rock'n roll for an up & coming film company, but not the refined chic elegance of a woman in Delia's upper crust league. Everything about her screamed STYLE & confidence.
Each evening I would deliver faxes & mail to offices before leaving for the day. One afternoon, while dropping off Delia's I stood perusing a huge bulletin board which hung on her wall. It was covered with photos of her partaking in fun adventures. Skiing the alps, skydiving, rock climbing, hula hooping & eating ice cream with her nieces. "Such a cute life!" I thought when suddenly, "How long are you giving it?" she asked while entering the room. "Huh...what? Giving what?" I replied. "Your music career..how many years do you think you'll do it?" She said with a smile. "Uh..hmmm I never really thought of it that way.. I guess forever? or as long as it takes to make it??" She looked at me with a big sisterly type of grin that made me feel like I had known her forever, "Making it is such a relative term sweetie, be sure you know what that means for you personally." Then, while sipping coffee and making her way to her desk she opened a drawer & pulled out a picture & handed it to me. It was a photo of her in a magnificent red evening gown, standing on an equally magnificent red carpet with some George Clooney-esque chiseled guy in a tux & shiny shoes. "That's me at the Academy Awards a few years ago, I was on the fast track to stardom! But you wanna know something? Turns out I don't actually like stardom so much." I stood there.. motionless as she went on. "You will live a million lives in this one lifetime. Live them all out. Embrace each one. Keep your eyes open & learn. Each one will make you richer as a person & you will become more powerful with each experience." I thought the photo was lovely & amazing & although I had no idea about her brush with stardom, it made such perfect sense that I never even questioned it nor even asked her to elaborate. A bit taken aback by the serious nature of the conversation, I shook my head "yes" with an almost forced grin as I placed the photo back upon the desk.
Driving home that night my mind was racing back & forth with a flood of mixed emotions "well this woman clearly doesn't have a clue how pulled together I AM! I KNOW what I want. Does she not believe I can make it? She has no idea how focused I am. Is she bitter? I'm absolutely sure of my destiny...she doesn't know everything, I've got it all figured out, why would I want so many lifetimes when I only need the ONE I'm after? Why is everyone giving out FREE advice all the time?"
With every passing year I think about Delia & the brilliance she shared with me that day. What a truly beautiful sentiment. Changing, adapting & turning toward the light at every juncture. Who wouldn't want a million different lives within one lifetime?
Here's to a million & one
Hepburn Hugs & Ric Ocasek Dreams,
Birdee Bow
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