So Much More Than

This past summer, a volleyball shoulder injury left me restless—relegated to reading autobiographies of the stars in my backyard.

I’ve always loved those books with a glossy middle section: select black-and-white photographs, carefully chosen, like clues to study. The Lauren Bacall memoir I picked up at the thrift store was so worn it began to fall apart as I turned the pages.

What struck me most was Bacall’s sheer determination—and her family’s unwavering support. That love seemed to give her the confidence to stand on street corners hoping to meet producers, to say yes to small roles that went nowhere. She was so nervous she threw up before her first screen test. When her big break finally came, her mother moved across the country to live with her and waited up when she stayed out late with Humphrey Bogart.

It reminded me how often we only see the polished version of the people we admire. The glamour. The highlight reel. But behind the scenes, there are quiet support systems, false starts and long pauses. Rejections and missed calls.

There’s something comforting about knowing even our idols get nervous. That they worry, work, love, and long—just like we do.

So there I was, lying in the grass, an ice pack on my shoulder, sun warming my face, remembering: part of being human is failing, fumbling, and sometimes feeling miserable….

#LaurenBacall #biography #Starlet #Dreaming #Setbacks #creativeprocess

Young Lauren Bacall