JOLEE-Power-Edition-2020

PIZZAZZ —————————————————————————————————————
魅 ⼒力力
A Chance Meeting
By Kathleen Mailliard Solmssen
San Francisco – California
Photography By Peter Solmssen
A few years ago, while sitting in
a stall (sounds like horse talk)
around the periphery of an
overcrowded ladies’ restroom in
San Francisco’s Trader Vic’s and
“sort of” minding my own
business, I noticed a rainbow of
colorfully elegant shoes worn by
the woman in the adjacent stall.
They were truly “works of art”
with a bit of whimsy thrown
into the design just for good
measure. I couldn’t contain my
enthusiasm as I gently kicked
her shoe while exclaiming, “I’m
dying to see who these lovely
shoes are connected to.”
Full of joy and total delight, my
new friend nearly cartwheeled
into the middle of the restroom.
"It's me, it's me Barbara, and
who are you?" We chatted that
afternoon in that restroom for a
good half-hour while our
husbands were sipping Mai Tais
and wondering what the heck
was going on! Indeed, to this
day, we chat by the hour –
often. Over the years, ever
since our “chance meeting”, we
have been blessed to be guests at
her comfy, whimsical Mexican
casa for many, many memorybuilding
holidays.
It just takes a delicate, wellbalanced
combination of sass
and good manners (devoid of
any filters or safety nets) to
engage in a playful interaction
with a total stranger. If the
approach is sensitive, what have
you got to lose?
If you are open to it, “a chance
meeting” can happen to you.
A few years ago, I attended our
“not to be missed” San
Francisco Fall Antique Show. A
gaggle of gals and I were
“wining and dining” around a
table when, out of nowhere, this
fascinating lady announced,
“Sorry to bother you, but I must
ask, where did you ever find
your fantastic hummingbird
leggings?” What a doll! What
contagious energy! You betcha!
We have been “BFFS” since that
moment. My compendium of
friends runs the gamut of age,
stations in life, and energy. For
better or worse, richer or poorer,
I would be half the person I am
today without them. And that
truly is PIZZAZZ!!!!
JoLeeMagazine.com 67