She was not impressed by celebrities. She had observed the glow in other people's faces, heard the thrill in their voice, when they announced that they had just spotted Brad Pitt walking into a restaurant in SoHo. But, it was a response practically alien to her.
In truth, she rarely recognized famous people, although sometimes when she passed them in the street she would feel like they were someone she knew--perhaps a former classmate or someone from the gym. Once, after a ride in a NYC elevator, she had turned to a friend and commented on the beauty of the woman who had shared the ride with them. Her friend had laughed, "Of course she's beautiful! That was Naomi Campbell!"
There had been one or two times when she was awestruck. Once, when working on a museum exhibition, she had picked up the phone to find Patty Hearst on the line. An ache filled her chest, her eyes teared up, and she had to fight to keep her voice professional as she explained the loan form for an artwork Ms. Hearst was lending to the exhibition.
She had been a small child when Patty Hearst was kidnapped. Not even 10 years old when Hearst had faced trial for her acts as the "urban guerilla" Tania. Too young to understand the details of what had happened, she intuitively understood that this woman had made a radical break from the life she had been born into. It may have taken a kidnapping, but Hearst had been able to escape the life she had been straddled with. And this was a revelation to the young girl. This was something to admire. It was something already desired.
Reflecting back as an adult, she wondered why her childhood self--a country girl with good parents, clean air & clean clothes, a sense of safety--would have found this idea of extreme departure so exhilarating and ultimately necessary. Her childhood self had talked playmates into acting out the pretend game over and over again: You kidnap me, you brainwash me (don't let me escape!), and eventually we'll share adventures together.
The allure of breaking away would stay with her until she had completed her own substantial break with the world her parents had brought her into. Now she wondered, would it have happened at all without her childhood love of Patty Hearst?
In truth, she rarely recognized famous people, although sometimes when she passed them in the street she would feel like they were someone she knew--perhaps a former classmate or someone from the gym. Once, after a ride in a NYC elevator, she had turned to a friend and commented on the beauty of the woman who had shared the ride with them. Her friend had laughed, "Of course she's beautiful! That was Naomi Campbell!"
There had been one or two times when she was awestruck. Once, when working on a museum exhibition, she had picked up the phone to find Patty Hearst on the line. An ache filled her chest, her eyes teared up, and she had to fight to keep her voice professional as she explained the loan form for an artwork Ms. Hearst was lending to the exhibition.
She had been a small child when Patty Hearst was kidnapped. Not even 10 years old when Hearst had faced trial for her acts as the "urban guerilla" Tania. Too young to understand the details of what had happened, she intuitively understood that this woman had made a radical break from the life she had been born into. It may have taken a kidnapping, but Hearst had been able to escape the life she had been straddled with. And this was a revelation to the young girl. This was something to admire. It was something already desired.
Reflecting back as an adult, she wondered why her childhood self--a country girl with good parents, clean air & clean clothes, a sense of safety--would have found this idea of extreme departure so exhilarating and ultimately necessary. Her childhood self had talked playmates into acting out the pretend game over and over again: You kidnap me, you brainwash me (don't let me escape!), and eventually we'll share adventures together.
The allure of breaking away would stay with her until she had completed her own substantial break with the world her parents had brought her into. Now she wondered, would it have happened at all without her childhood love of Patty Hearst?
posted by Melanie at
3:06 PM
