Great opportunities don’t present themselves often. But on rare occasions, you might have that one chance to do something no one else has ever done, or to be a part of something that is bigger than yourself. A chance to be the first. A chance to be an original.
Michelangelo could be, perhaps, the most famous sculptor of all time. His works of art are in museums and people wait their entire lives to travel to these museums to view his work. Maybe he has a piece or two in a private collection, worth what, perhaps tens of $Millions?
Painters? How many famous painters are there? Picasso, Rembrandt, Van Gogh… their work could bring $Millions, if for sale. How many of us could afford to buy anything by these great artists?
But imagine if you could go back in time and purchase that first sculpture by Michelangelo. Or perhaps you could go back in time and purchase that first drawing by Picasso, before he began using paint to create his masterpieces. Perhaps you could get the first sketch from Rembrandt or the first doodle on a piece of paper by Van Gogh. What would these be worth?
Such an opportunity was presented recently. But it was turned down. Turned down flat. With a scoff and a turn of the head, accompanied by the roll of the eyes.
Our lovely Charlotte had a school dance recently. And I, being the loving father that I am, offered her my time in doing her hair for this 7th grade dance.
Did I just hear you scoff, much as she did when I offered her this chance to allow me to do her hair? And did I also see you just roll your eyes, also as she did?
Before you dismiss me and before you applaud Charlotte for her decision to turn down the invitation to allow me to do her hair for this 7th grade dance, let me bring a few things to light.
I want you to think back to a time long long ago, to the late 1400s. Picture a young Michelangelo bringing his mom and dad home something he made in his art class, perhaps an ashtray or maybe a bowl that he hand crafted. And imagine the dad, so proud of his young son, taking this bowl, ashtray or earthen ware pot and keeping it on his desk, proud of boy, but at the same time looking at it, “What am I supposed to do with this?”. So perhaps he kept it, maybe put out his cigarettes in it, or kept his paperclips in it, (yes I know – no paperclips in the late 1400s, work with me people), until one day he needed to clear some space and took it off his desk, putting it away, never to see it again. Or maybe he moved his coffee cup, knocked it over and it broke. Michelangelo has since moved on to other things, taken on new projects. Perhaps even he forgot about his very first creation. Or, and imagine this, maybe this obscure object, still exists in some place, most likely in Europe. Who knows?
Now picture if you will, Picasso or Rembrandt, in an art class and they painted something on paper, maybe it was finger paint. They bring it home and show their parents. How joyed their parents would have been. I’m sure they proudly hung it on their refrigerator or gave it a place or prominence for all their friends, family and neighbors to see. But, as paper at the time wasn’t very sturdy, I’m sure it became creased or curled and at some point, it had to be discarded. Or did it? Perhaps this first painting still exists. Perhaps it got put in between the pages of a book or stuffed in a box of important papers. Who knows.
But – somewhere, did exist, the very first sculpture made by Michelangelo.
And – somewhere, did exist, the very first painting by Picasso, Rembrandt or Van Gogh.
There had to be a first. They didn’t commission Michelangelo to paint the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel without first seeing something he had done. They didn’t hire him without any proof of his work. Who would do that? Who is going to hire a person, site unseen and say, “Hey, dude, how about you paint this ceiling for us?”
People have paid $Millions and $Millions for paintings from Rembrandt, Picasso and the other guy. But you’re not going to shell out big bucks for someone that has no reviews, no history of other paintings. I mean serious art investors might take a chance, but not this guy. When I thrown down my hard earned money on a painting, I want a proven artist with a proven track record.
BUT – and here’s my entire point. Somewhere, there had to be a first.
One never knows. Perhaps I might be the world’s foremost hair stylist. Is that so hard to fathom? I have 3 ladies in the house, and I have watched women do hair for the better part of 20 years. Suppose that I, Jim Sumstine, though unknown now, could be the world’s foremost hairdresser or hair stylist. Suppose that AFTER doing my very first hair styling – NO – a hair masterpiece – that I’d be discovered.
If you had the unique opportunity to have your hair designed and styled by who might later be THE MOST FAMOUS HAIR STYLIST OF ALL TIME – tell me you wouldn’t jump at that chance.
At some point, Betty Crocker made her first cake. At some point Julia Childs made her first pot roast. And at some point Chef Boyardee made his first ravioli. Sure, all those are famous chefs, but to put it in the fashion sense: at some point, Versace sewed his first blouse, Manolo Blahnik tied his first shoe and Gucci made their first purse. They all got their chance in the world of fashion. Why not me?
How do we know that if Charlotte were to have let me do her hair for the 7th grade dance, she would have walked in that gym, amidst all the streamers and balloons and people would have stopped and stared, the music would immediately stop and the spotlight shine directly upon her. The conversation would have quickly turned to, “Charlotte, who did your hair?” and, “Charlotte, is your hard stylist taking appointments?” or perhaps even, “Charlotte, can I take a picture so that I can show the person who does my hair to have it look like yours?”.
I’m a visionary. I don’t limit myself to the mundane. I think outside the box. I take risks and I laugh in the face of mediocrity. Am I destined to be the world’s more renowned hair stylist? I guess we’ll never know. Unless…….. unless someone says to themselves, “Self, I have faith in Jim. I know he can do it, so I trust him with scissors and clippers on my hair. And no, I do not count the times I did my small children’s hair to take them to pre-school on the mornings when their mom was unable to. I can still hear Miss Margaret, “Oh, I see dad did the hair today”, or sometimes, “Oh, I see dad dressed the girls today.”
*sidenote – did you know stripes don’t go with polka dots? I did not.
It’s not my place to force anyone into my chair. I won’t duct tape anyone down while I perform my first masterpiece. The person must come willingly.
All I can do for Charlotte is open the door. Present the opportunity. It’s her responsibility to kick down that door and seize the moment.
Opportunity offered. Opportunity denied.
My Take on Life and Events 