Outlaws, Chance Encounters, and Magical Moments

Your Daily Dose of Sunshine - Today’s Inspiration:

• Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid

• The Outlaw Trail by Robert Redford

• Tall Tales and Ridiculousness

• A Chance Encounter

• Not Telling Yet

Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid

Over the weekend, I brought the DVD of Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid over to watch with my parents. We’ve all seen it before multiple times, but it’s a classic and we were in the mood for it.

Look how young these actors are! I grew up dancing around our living room with my three sisters to the Burt Bacharach soundtrack and the (what is it, scatting?) sort of singing that was incredibly buoyant and frivolous sounding. Yes, we jumped on the furniture, and skipped and leaped to the music.

The Outlaw Trail by Robert Redford

Robert Redford wrote a coffee table book exploring the histories of some of the wild west legends and went on horseback from Canada to Mexico with a crew of journalists and curious, like-minded people. My uncle, Dan Arensmeier, was the photographer for the book. There are gorgeous images of all the great hiding places, and grand vistas where these infamous gangsters lived and traveled - and there’s a full page picture of my uncle in the book riding a horse and looking magnificent. Mr. Redford met my cousins and I think had a pie-eating contest with one of them.

But that’s not the only family connection…

Tall Tales and Ridiculousness

When I was very young, I had a temp job at Hills Brothers Coffee in San Francisco. My dad liked to visit me when he was in the city, and he’d come to the lobby and give some outlandish name.

The receptionist would call my desk and say, “Um, there’s an Elwood P. Bilgefelter here to see you.” To which I would chuckle and reply, “Oh - that’s my dad!” Every time it was a different name, that was hard to pronounce, and ridiculous. He’s always had a way of being a goof and making people laugh. The front desk people came to look forward to his visits as much as I did.

While I was there, I heard about an opening that was perfect for my mom, and she ended up working there for years and years.

A Chance Encounter

Robert Redford was filming the movie, Sneakers, while my mom worked at Hills Brothers. There is a scene where there is a meeting in the open air café on the ground floor. It is a very picturesque location, and there were movie executives, all sorts of camera crew, and industry people standing around to get the right shots with the right lighting etc.

My mother sent a note to Mr. Redford introducing herself as Jan Arensmeier - Dan’s sister-in-law, asking if he would be willing to meet for coffee.

The buzz in her office was ELECTRIC when a note from Robert Redford came for her to meet him for coffee downstairs. How on earth did she rate?

Can you IMAGINE? She said they sat and had the most lovely conversation.

I just love how chance encounters happen from time to time - little magical moments to never be forgotten.

Not Telling Yet

None of this has anything to do with anything - other than a fun memory, some laughs, and a great time with my folks this weekend. And maybe remembering that fame doesn’t make someone unapproachable. Some celebrities are downright charming in person.

As far as my job search goes - I’m not ready to spill the beans right now. I am excited beyond words, truly, but have a lot of work to do to study for a license to be able to work in the field. All I can say is that I’m feeling like a little smarty pants over here learning all these big ideas and concepts - and legalese and industry specific jargon. It’s a lot, and I love that.

I already have several people asking me to recruit them to work with me once I’m up and running. Just people I know from around here - some girls at the bank when I opened a checking account for direct deposits and a gal from the Assisted Living where my parents live. My excitement is spilling over and contagious, and they want in. I love that I have the opportunity to build my own team of high achievers who want to learn and grow with me, and help people, and encourage one another to go for it!

That's it for now, my dear readers. I hope you've had a relaxing three day weekend, if you got Monday off. And I hope you are alert and ready for chance encounters and opportunities that may disguise themselves as a lot of work - but have outstanding payoffs available both in personal development and financial success. Go for it.

Go. For. It. Dive in and learn to swim as you go.