Indulge Me Please

You know the universe works in strange ways….I had previously written that Gia Carangi was a very famous model during the 80’s and yes, being an attractive young woman who was already modeling [Albeit on a much smaller scale] I was inspired.
 
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So armed with my copy of the absolute essential resource: Madison Avenue Handbook ... A Guide to the Fashion and Print Industries which included ad agencies, fashion firms, modeling agencies. The book itself is a bible of information complete with addresses and telephone numbers.

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I hit the pavement seeking my fame and indexwallpaper fortune as a model. I am not one now but I did get to see the  life and experience in a small way.  I met my own "Jane" (A makeup artist and OMG she was a blond also), life imitates art imitating life.  I did some work but. It was virtually over before it began.

I am thankful for that because the early eighties were still a time of reckless abandon in the industry, yes there were parties, the drugs flowed freely:  Speedballs [coke and heroin] and no one was there to tell you not to try something that could be detrimental.  For example, there was Anna and I don't even know if she's alive now but unless she went into recovery I doubt it.  Remember, just like in the movie for models it truly was a time of "Heroin Chic". Not all models did it (I didn't, then again I wasn't famous and didn't have the pressures the steadily working had).)
 
Ultimately I chose a different route in life (an academic one), and navigating life as an “ordinary” person is difficult enough, because life's challenges will catch up with you regardless. I am fortunate my challenges in life were not drug or alcohol induced. 

Besides despite the proliferation of models of various ethnicities, in the 1980’s that wasn’t the case, there weren’t many opportunities particularly for models who were “multiethnic.” It was always either/or and I don’t know how many times I was told that my look was “too exotic,” but that wasn’t disheartening because it was really significant to me that a big time modeling agency took the time to direct me to a smaller agency. I mean that doesn’t happen in 2011, it really doesn’t.  
 
Despite being appreciative I was still confused by what the representative or whoever that guy was at that agency meant by "Too Exotic". I wasn’t certain if that meant I looked “black” because the African American community wanted to know “what are you?”  Did it mean that I looked Hispanic? Oh Gosh how I wished that it meant that I looked Pacific Islander (It didn’t, but that would have been cool). 
 
Today there are so many more opportunities available with the specialization agencies like Older Models, Plus Sized models, Ugly models etc but also much more competition (Especially the “Ugly” models because it has to be a “Special” type of ugly (You know the type that isn’t particularly attractive but you are sexually drawn to the person).  Each year America’s Next Top Model comes to my area.  Sometimes I think about going just to see the models (Not to audition).  
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