cash in her bra

i had lunch the other day with my new friend, joan. she told me about her recent speaking gigs, connections she is making, and books and articles she is reading. joan is always striving to power up her content as a motivational speaker. she takes excellent care of herself and goes to the gym every day to walk the track. she has now decided she needs to add weightlifting to her regime.

joan is 87.

how we met is another story entirely, but the two of us have gotten together twice for lunch, and we plan to do it every month. i give her ideas for new contacts and she gives me advice.

"what do you want to be doing in five years?" she asked me.

"i want to be a writer. well i kind of am a writer but i would like to be published."

"what are you doing about it? are you in a writing group? have you researched magazines that would carry your essays?"

"well, no."

"Action! Action! Action! Make a plan! Set a goal! It won't happen if you don't maket it happen! DO IT!"

this is a woman who has reinvented herself many times, and will never be finished. when a divorce left her needing income, she put on a skirt shorter than she was used to wearing and walzed into dayton's to apply for a job in the fashion department, which of course she got. she was thrown out of the palmer house in chicago in 1972 because she was wearing pants. not just pants, sleek trousers with a floorlenght silk vest - an outfit that would bring Mary Richards to tears in envious grief.

last weekend, joan read a book about power -- feeling power and turning that feeling into a reality. the guy who wrote it had $5000.00 in total sum for a graduation or some such thing, so he took part of it and purchased a $1000.00 suit. he put it on and tucked another $1000.00 in his pocket, and just walked around to see what it felt like.

it changed his life. he believed he could accomplish anything - and hey guess what -- he is published!

then my friend told me she is planning a trip to chicago sometime soon. she will ride the train and and enjoy the scenery and she will go alone. several people have asked to go along but she has told them

"no, i want to go alone. i want to have conversations and enjoy dinner in fine restaurants and experience all of it! i don't want any distractions."

and, while she is there, my friend joan is planning to purchase a $1000.00 suit, and pin $1000.00 in her bra

and walk the miracle mile just to see what it feels like.

how i would love to go with her, but she does not want any distractions.

never the less,

she'll tell me all about it at lunch

and i'll keep you posted.