My Long-Shot Moment

Last night I taught a class on "Makeup for Ethnic Skintones".  It was a great class with students who were eager to learn, not just makeup techniques, but more important, how this industry functions. Students who wanted to know how I got started in the industry and how I became successful. I explained that part of my success was due to my long-shot moment, you know, that moment that you take a chance. 

Everyday I thank my youngest brother Ian, a costumer and on-set tailor in Los Angeles.  He spent many years working with The Commodores.  It was on one of his trips with The Commodores that I had my long-shot moment.  The year - 1984 when I took him to the airport.  Back then, you could actually go through security all the way to the gate, almost to the plane door.  Remember that...

Well, we were just hanging with the group waiting for them to board the plane.  I noticed  a lady with green eyes, similar to mine, but I wasn't quite sure who she was.  Well, Ronald from the group introduced me.  He did it in such a nonchalant way,
"Marietta, did you meet Natalie yet?"  Well of course I hadn't. 
He said, "this is Natalie Cole.  Natalie, this is Marietta, Ian's sister".
It was like, oh, "nice to meet you". 

She already knew Ian, so it made the introduction quite comfortable.  We continued chatting for a little while until it was time to board the flight.  We all said our goodbyes and then Natalie said to me "are  you traveling with them?"  I said no that I only came to drop Ian off.  She then asked if I wanted to walk out of the airport with her.  Was I going to say oh no,  not today.  Of course not.  I said sure just as nonchalantly as she asked.  But I am telling you, I was having my own sweatfest inside.  I was so nervous and overwhelmed.  That was Natalie Cole.  Natalie Cole the singer...Nat King Cole's daughter. 

Wow!!! I was having a one-on-one conversation with her.  "OK, OK, enough. Calm yourself down, don't let her see how nervous you are."  This was the conversation taking place in my head.  One little voice kept saying, "you better not say anything to her," and the other voice kept saying "you'll never know unless you try."  Well I shut both voices up and I said "you know...Ms. Cole,"  She said, "call me Natalie."  She was so sweet and gentile. I continued, "if you ever need anyone to do makeup, hair, or wardrobe, I'm available..."  Whew!, I got it out, that wasn't so bad.  To my surprise she said, " I probably will.  I am getting ready to go on tour soon and I probably would need someone.  Can I get your number."  Of course.  There was no Vista Print back then, so I didn't have a card and neither did I have a pen or a piece of paper....no cell phone either...

Note to self...always carry a pen and paper in my pocket book.

So, I did the cardinal sin, I asked her for a pen and a piece of paper to write my number.  She really didn't have any paper.  All she had was an envelope and she ripped the corner, (very small piece of paper), and gave it to me, along with a pen.  I wrote my number and gave it to her.  When she place it in her very large purse, I thought, there is no way she will ever find my number in that Abyss. 

Uhmm...three days later her manger called...

That was my long-shot moment...