The scent of jasmine that hung outside my private bungalow at Chateau Marmont was almost too magnificent to believe, and as I zipped up the back of the H&M dress I was going to try to pass off as vintage Norma Kamali, I inhaled deeply, taking it all in. In an hour or so, I would be walking the red carpet for the premiere of "The Incredible Hulk," a summer blockbuster in which I had a leading role. This premiere was without a doubt an important event for me – a high-profile shout-out for a decade worth of dedication to a career that historically sports more downs than ups. There would be photographs, “live from the carpet” interviews, and parties afterward. My roots were colored, my cleavage cradled in La Perla, and the false eyelashes the salesgal had applied earlier in the day were lush and curled to perfection. (Sidebar: not the $250.00 a lash, real mink perfection variety sported by Madonna and J.Lo. but the $25.00 a pair, very-best-MAC- has to offer kind. Hey…good enough for me!) I was so proud of what I had accomplished, and thrilled to be able to share the experience with the people I loved. I couldn’t have felt more beautiful.
Cut to: Me, earlier tonight. Dried oatmeal in unwashed hair, a nursing bra large enough to house a small litter of newborn kittens, and lashes that just might require those mink falsies in order to regain any semblance of presentability. And I couldn’t have felt more beautiful.
My dear son Ravi Alexander Cabot-Conyers is now 9 months old. Everyday is filled with to-the-bone exhaustion and oodles upon oodles of belly-laughs. There is a tacit understanding that no matter the depth of challenges faced, this life-long commitment to parenting another human being will most surely bring the sweetest brand of satisfaction and joy. Well, I’ve always been up for a good challenge (Did I mention I make my living as an actor?), and I’m a sucker for joy. It is in that spirit that I hope to share a little bit of what’s swimming around in my sleep-deprived head.
I’m sure my musings won’t always be “Mommy Centric” – there’s a grand world out there and the Sagittarian in me has always been drawn to the big picture. But I’d be lying if I didn’t say that, since the little guy came to town, the lens with which I view this world has been unequivocally altered in the most profound and prolific of ways. What thoughts and subjects I’ll find myself drawn to presenting here, well, we’ll just have to see. I hope you’ll stick around and stay tuned. Until then…straight ahead.
They are our teachers :-)
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