More police, car & motorcycle, what an inconvenience, stuck in another motorcade. .
Peculiar arrogance was placed on my DNA from childhood. Presidents, potentates, pashas, premiers, poo bahs, & etc all came to see my father's work, ABC, CBS, & NBC too. The last 3, a joke. Listening to the evening news to hear what they got wrong. Hollywood made movies about men dad trained. The New York Times runs obituaries of dad's coworkers; neighbors I grew up with. One neighbor, portrayed by John Wayne, lived a few houses down; he didn't work with dad & we didn't know him, it's not a very good movie. Last year another neighbor (he owned Coco Chanel's yacht, had the channel dredged to dock it behind his house) we didn't know was in the NYTimes obits, ha, gossip we heard in childhood was true, all in the obit.
.
Back to the limousine. In the back seat, no more than 6' away, a man & woman, both looking forward, both with Mona Lisa smiles, eyes sparkling, clothes finer than I had ever seen yet not showy, skin radiantly hued & dewy, were spellbinding.
.
The air around them a cloud they imbued with their intellect, passions, joys, loves, conquered hurts, spirit, grace & more. I was 15 & had never experienced seeing intuitively.
.
Those minutes of 'seeing' were profound. Thankfully, more potent than the peculiar arrogance of the time/place of my upbringing.
.
When Anwar Sadat was assassinated several years later, I was in college, mom made an offhand comment about us seeing he & his wife on their way to NASA. I had no clue I had ever seen Anwar Sadat. At 15 I didn't care who the people were in the limousine I cared about how to get what they had, that cloud.
.
An introvert, that cloud sustains me designing gardens, doing live TV, lecturing in large auditoriums, accepting the vicissitudes of life while increasing its joys. Anwar Sadat & his wife were my epiphany, they mentored their composure without effort.
.
Garden & Be Well, XO Tara
.
Found the pic online, it was probably taken a couple of hours after I saw Anwar Sadat.
6 comments:
I have to re-read this post, too. Interesting life and effect on it that made. And you're an introvert, too - me too!
Closest thing to that was sitting down at the only Mexican restaurant in Mtgy AL in 1975, me 9 yrs old, and late Gov. George Wallace and a guy friend were finishing their meal across from us.
Funny, I was a ward of the state....a nobody... and I remember that cloud surrounding people that I thought epitomized grace and elegance. None on par with your mentors, I am certain, but they influenced me nonetheless.
I was in Beirut when he was assassinated and there was sadness in the street. A few years later my husband and I were invited to a dinner here in Atlanta with Mrs. Sadat. She was so gracious and kind enough to allow us to have our picture taken with her. I was amazing to have encountered historical figures.
I couldn't happen but think about your experience as a 15 year old and how lucky you were to experience that moment at such a young and impressionable stage of life.
Tara, what a beautiful post this is! You've led a very interesting life.
Brenda
I agree with the comment above..even if with hindsight. A moment at an impressionable age, simple beautiful.
A prayer tonight that Egypt can find another with that peaceful *cloud.
Lynea
Tara you certainly have led an interesting life...my goodness the people your family rubbed elbows with! I agree with Queenplinker...I hope Egypt can find a leader with that peaceful 'cloud'.
Maura X
Post a Comment