Starting the Training

Why am I writing this blog?  A part of it is to be able to get things out of my head, but a big part of it is to perhaps touch someone(s) with the idea that you're never too old to try something new, that retirement does not really mean "to retire", "to just lie back", "to go away".  Perhaps we need to change that word to "transition".  That's really where I have been - in transition.  I have probably done as much and experienced as much in the last 3 years as I did in my entire lifetime.  Now I know that's a pretty broad statement to make, but if I were to just sit down and make up two lists I'd bet the last 3 years would give the first 68 years a run for their money.  So in my transition I took the right turn into exploring acting.  And as I mentioned in my last posting I discovered Barbizon.   Note that it probably could have been any school, but I knew the name Barbizon.  It was convenient, and it was within my budget.  It also had a class for adult women.  So having just returned from a huge confidence building trip by myself to Scotland for over a week I entered my first class with a bit of anxiety and a lot of expectation.  Everyone in the class was, of course, a good bit younger than me, but that was never a problem in all of the next several weeks of classes.  Our instructor, Ms. Cameron, had taught the class before and was fun and funny.  She was also firm, but always gave critiques in a way that made me feel that I had overcome something as opposed to failing something.  We learned the walk - the model walk.  How cool was that at my age to "strut" the catwalk if only in a classroom!  I cannot even begin to remember all of the things that we learned, from table etiquette to professionalism, as well as acting, dressing, makeup tips and skin care, working on camera, etc, etc, etc.   Everything we learned was something that could well be used in any profession or career, not just modeling and acting.  There were lessons in confidence, appearance, taking charge, elegance, bringing out the best in you.  And, no, those were not the names of the classes.  Those are the things that stuck to you because of the classes, the environment, and the instructors.  The rules were strict and gave us a feeling for working within a professional modeling or acting environment.  I practically floated into the agency at class time and danced out.  I made friends there whom I still keep in touch with today.  We were also towards the end of our classes given the opportunity to audition for the International Modeling and Talent Association competition taking place in January in Los Angeles.  I auditioned and made a spot on the team.  I was beyond happy and I cried when I was given the news on the phone by the Agency Director. And then there was the piece de resistance.  Our graduation was a show for family and friends at the Progress Energy Theater in downtown Raleigh, NC.   It was an onstage presentation of our modeling skills with fairly intricate choreography to the music "I got a feeling" by the Black Eyed Peas which I had never heard before, but now cannot hear without remembering the feel of being on that stage.  I came bouncing off at the end of our final rehearsal for it, yelling "We nailed it" and almost ran over a young man standing there.  At the end of our show when we were leaving the theater I was met at the stage exit door by an older woman whom I had never met before.  She reached out to me and told me that she just wanted to tell me that I had inspired her with my "transition" at my age, and that she told me that I had given her the urge to find a transition also.  She was, I believe, the first of many such occurrences I've had since then.  Oh, and the young man I almost ran over off stage in my exuberance.  I was called into the agency office the next day and there he stood.  He was a young director and interviewed me on the spot for his upcoming film.  Anything that I had done up to this point in my new career can be done by anyone.  No, it is not free, but if I never went any further than that graduation stage my life would have been changed.  It was one of several such life altering experiences to come over the next few years.