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Magnanimous might
(by Jennifer Botkin Phillips - May 14, 2008)
Within moments of confirming my get together with my friend, Gianna to catch up on gossip and girl talk, I read my e-mail from Bookends that Maria Shriver was slated for a book signing for her new book, “Just Who Will You Be?” Oh, dear. What to do? I didn’t want to miss seeing the First Lady of California, my home state, and telling her how much I appreciated her recent comments on the talk show circuits. Thankfully, upon calling to reschedule our “girl fest”, my understanding friend replied, “It’s pretty cool to be bumped for Maria Shriver.”
Simultaneously, First Lady Laura Bush was slated to appear in Glen Rock. Therefore, the crowd was thinner than you would expect for the “award winning network newswoman,” wife of Arnold Schwarzenegger, the famous bodybuilder and Hollywood action figure turned politician now governor of California. Mrs. Bush’s appearance on the same night enabled those of us jockeying for a spot to maneuver as very polite and proper graceful ladies.
As often happens while standing in long lines – especially when it is mostly made up of women – conversations of all topics typically start. I met several charming and accomplished women with varied backgrounds. While inching our way down the sidewalk we skillfully covered health, death, men (of course), life, marriage, divorce, children, men again, and variations of supplemental expounding.
Maria Shriver’s appearance that morning on The View really intrigued me. She spoke about how surprised everyone was that
Arnold ran and won, that she lost her job at NBC, was now a “housewife,” had lost friends, didn’t have the set routine that she was familiar with, and how it all was an identity crisis.
A pivotal point that Shriver shared from The View stage under the hot lights surrounded by Barbara Walters, Joy Behar, Whoopi Goldberg, Elizabeth Hasselbeck, and Sherri Shepherd, was poignant. She told of walking in
Santa Monica at the mall with her son wearing her designer sunglasses when a stranger approached and inquired of her son if the woman with him was a model? He responded, “No, that’s my mom, a housewife.”
Maria continued with the saga saying how shocked she was by his comment and said, “No, I’m not a housewife. I’m a TV journalist.” Her son continued, “no, not anymore, mom.” She went on and said, “Well, I write books.” Once again her son piped up, “Well, you’re not doing that now.” She concluded the segment by saying that it wasn’t where she wanted to be; that she had always identified herself with what she did. It made her stop and ask herself, “Is this enough?”
What excited Maria Shriver, she shared with the live TV audience, was that her experience with her son in the
Santa Monica mall allowed her the opportunity to look within. Thus, her new book, which was inspired by a speech she gave, was born. Her creed has become “I’m a work in progress.”
And now, here I was migrating closer with my new acquaintances and ascending the stairs at Bookends where the book signing was held, soon to be face to face with a woman I admired and respected.
Within moments of 7 p.m., the time of the book signing, Maria Shriver arrived in a pale lilac suit with a bright smile that could awaken sleeping giants. Everyone’s eyes were upon her and we all watched as she was followed in by the security escorts and directed to the book-signing table. The buzz in the room was palpable.
When my turn arrived I could hardly stand still and was so excited I thought I would jump out of my skin. Maria Shriver was as warm and personable as she came across on the shows I’d seen her on.
Though Gianna teases me about how she was bumped for Maria Shriver, I think that she secretly is as invigorated as I am about meeting the magnanimous and magnetizing Maria Shriver.
Until next time… Top Blonde… on the run.
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