Model Behavior

I feel the need to clear something up. In yesterday's bog, I referred to my modeling days. Several of you were surprised and intrigued by this information. It is not something that I ever put on my resume...or reveal to many people. I would like to stress again that I was no super-model. I was never roaming the streets of New York with the It -Girls. I was merely making occasional good money by posing and smiling.


My lovely sister-in-law suggested that I visit an agency and give it a try. This was in the same conversation where she told me I needed to be more "aware of my surroundings" in my life. Truer words were never spoken. I may be the least observant person that one will ever meet. You know those games you play where you have to look at something and then look away and describe everything you just saw? I lose everytime. (The irony here is that I married into a family and gave birth to children who can describe every detail of every person that they have ever met).

I met with an agency and was hired immediately and told to get a "card" made. Now a card is a beginner model's "book". This is what you take around from job to job...a set of pictures that defines your "Look". Since I had no idea what my "look" was, I had to find a good photographer to help with that. In a hilarious piece of irony that never fails to amaze me, my extremely conservative father put me in touch with Jean-Pierre. I cannot remember how they knew each other, but dad raved about him and insisted that he would be terrific. And he was. Not only was he French...which for me was the winning factor...but he was a nice guy and good photographer. The first day we worked together, his little French family roamed in and out of the room...which totally put me at ease. I must have tried on 100 different looks for him to photograph, and in the end, the cover of my card was just me in a big, old sweater...very modest, but in a very chic way. the back of the card had 3 different looks ranging from "bohemian chick" to "woman-on-the-go" to "ladies that lunch". To this day, I love that card. I think because it represented the beginning of me becoming me. That card got me work from Tennessee to Atlanta...but no further than that. An agency in Chicago wanted me to work for them, but I remember the head guy's words to me: "Your card is great, but not strong enough for Chicago or New York"....Uh-oh...That meant I needed a "book"...which would cost thousands of dollars and would mean that I had to take the modeling thing more seriously. Then I met the husband, who was semi-supportive of this endeavor, but I suspected he found the whole thing a bit cheesy...so little by little, I let it go.

And that is the exciting story of my modeling career. As stated yesterday, I did have a "starring" role as an extra in the tv show "Savannah". My claim-to-fame on that show was the fact that I was the only extra who got to speak. The star guy on the show (whose name alludes me this morning) made the mistake of speaking to me during one of the scenes...this was a no-no since it meant they had to pay me more! I was so stunned when he spoke to me during the scene that I am afraid my acting debut is pretty pitiful...I look surprised because I was...

I remember telling a friend not long ago that modeling was not for me because I didn't want to do anything exotic. He thought this was funny, but what I meant was that I did not want to dye my hair or wear something I didn't like. I remember looking in the mirror sometimes after being in the make up chair and thinking "Who are you?" But as I said yesterday, I did enjoy the runway stuff. And thankfully, I never had a Carrie Bradshaw moment where she tripped and fell on the runway. One of my true talents in life is that I can maneuver pretty easily in 4 inch heels...and enjoy it.



So that is it for today. As I sit here writing in my jeans and tank top, which is my requisite writing outfit...and remember back to when I actually got paid for what I put on...


Until tomorrow...I have no idea what the subject will be...but I will now be found at cestlaviegirl.blogspot.com....