A Case for Plan B

And speaking of Miss America (you will have to read my previous blob to see that I was), being Miss America was not ever a career goal, or something to which I aspired, however, it never occurred to me that it was not an option. That was until my mother (and my aunts) agreed that I couldn't smile for the whole show. “ What a shame,” they would say, “Such a pretty girl and such a miserable punim (face).” OK, I was a little disappointed, but only until (years and years later) my friend Deborah, who was once Miss Arkansas, shared some of the tricks of the trade, like secret places you put Vaseline, and parts of the body which needed to be secured with tape. Having to alter normal body parts was not for me. As you can guess, it was a good excuse not to care about ever entering a beauty contest.

Anyway, that is not what I wanted to blob about. Our search has ended for a Universal theme that defines Gefilte Fish Chronicles: the Musical. (GFC). It is so simple, and yet absolutely what every member of every family knows; “All Mankind is born again in the child.” Soooo cool. But that’s not what I wanted to blob about either.

There is always one someone who you need to identify in order to make something happen. Whether it be in politics, business, entertainment, or life, if you need to get an important task done (like identifying a site for a political event, getting a proposal accepted, green lighting a movie or a show, arranging to find a way to get on an overbooked flight, getting a permit to do construction on your house, or getting your cable TV to work. Sometimes you need to make 100 phone calls to get to the right place. Sometimes (if you get lucky), a person you reach early in your pursuit, will give you the exact information you need. Sometimes, your adventure will end in total frustration and you will have to find a plan B. Needless to say, there isn’t always a plan B and if there is no B, C is not usually an option.

The other day I was trying to find out who was Richard Attenborough’s agent. Why? because I miss him. Years ago, when I was in the events business I created the international premiere of the film “Gandhi.” During that time I lived in India (in a colorful hotel) with Dicky – that’s what you call him if you’re pals. We were professional pals, we did not share space. My job was to try to get the film opened, reviewed, accepted by the press and the public. While this is not complicated if you are working in the US, in India, it was a nightmare. Part of the job was to identify space for the public premiere (with an invitation list – try that when a billion people think they should be there), identify space for two Press premiere’s, (this meant moving people who lived there, out of the movie house parking lot.) Develop that invitation list – there were a billion press people who thought they should be invited. Make all the arrangements for the VIP’s (Coretta King), the celebrities (Ben Kingsley) and deal with Indira Gandhi’s government. Oh, and the British government. Oh, and UNICEF – which was the non- profit organization benefiting from the event. This is all to say, every once in a while I try to find old friends.

First, I Googled the information. Then, when I had some names, I phoned. And that was just the beginning. Too many phone calls through too many super protective assistants – none of whom was even willing to take a message. It truly was a charming time when people actually anwswered their telephones. All I wanted to do was say hello to an old friend with whom I had lost touch.

In defeat, (which generally is not my style), I stopped the search. If something happens to or with him, I guess I’ll have to read it in the paper. Just one person –the right person could have been responsible for a magnificent reunion. But alas, all I was left with were unanswered questions and an emptiness in my heart. So if anyone knows him, you could be my plan B. We’re just sayin’… Iris