Yup, me and Lindsay Wagner, together at last!
I waited until today to post my blog because I wanted to share my Bionic Experience—and I eard from many of you on social media that you were dying for details.
Lindsay was giving a special evening, “More than a Bionic Woman: an Evening with Lindsay Wagner” and I had VIP tickets, meaning I would get to meet her afterwards.
I arrived in Indianapolis yesterday morning, and then tried to chill out and pass the time until the event. I strolled around Indy’s great downtown, and had a terrific dinner a the bar of a landmark steakhouse.
The more time passed the more excited I was becoming.
I became a fan during the late 70’s when The Bionic Woman was on. It was the highlight of my week, a one-hour escape from everything else in my life. I remained loyal to Lindsay Wagner’s career—her over 50 TV movies and multiple appearances in series and movies. She always seemed to exude an effortless grace and authenticity that set her apart. And of course I always expected she and the Six Million Dollar Man would come and whisk me off on an adventure. These days to get extra momentum during demos on makeover projects I still imagine that I’m Bionic—it sure makes it more fun!
Finally it was time…I lined up with my fellow fans and the energy was like being at a stadium concert. It was very cool to be among similarly excited fans—we were all about to do some time traveling down memory lane together, and that made it easy to strike up conversations with others while we waited.
I wasn’t attending alone—I brought along my Bionic Woman lunchbox! And even that didn’t make me unique—I was one of 3 people with one last night! Many folks brought special items: posters, books, photos, Bionic Woman dolls, you name it.
And then, when I didn’t think I could wait any longer, the lights dimmed and she appeared on stage, right in front of me. It was as if time turned back. That unmistakable silhouette and hair. The captivating smile. And the wonderful voice! There is nothing like it, especially for telling great stories about her own career.
Her anecdotes ranged from how she started in the business, her favorite moments from The Bionic Woman, her friendships in the business, and working on so many iconic TV movies. And all the while she was remarkably humble, and thankful to us. My personal favorite moments were when she showed behind-the-scenes home movies and photos from on-set. (Including having her Emmy delivered to her while filming!)
One highlight was when she was telling stories about co-stars, including Richard Anderson (who played Oscar Goldman). A Brooks Brothers-wearing dapper gentleman, he infamously didn’t wear socks with his shoes, even when it would have been forbidden as a government agent in the 70’s. Suddenly I was called out for being “Oscar Goldman’s son” when she noticed from stage that I wasn’t wearing socks, either! What a great compliment!
After a few hours she opened the floor to questions. (No surprise: I got the mic for a moment and added my own.) And then it was over—save for the lucky few who were remaining behind to meet her one-on-one.
Sometimes celebrities will rush through such a thing, but Lindsay made a point to not hurry anyone along. Some people took longer than others, some were more excited than others, some were more emotional than others, but she gave everyone her attention. In these moments especially she was embodying her philosophy of providing a “safe and loving environment” for people, which she advocates in her successful seminars and workshops. How great to get to see it come to life.
My turn! Lunchbox in hand and my heart in my throat I walked up and into a great hug. I told her what an inspiration she’d been to me growing up, shared my favorite performances, and told her how seeing her Bionic character “overcome” the odds really prompted me to live my dreams, too—including getting into television. It was an incredible moment that I’ll never forget.
Now I head home, lunchbox still in hand (now signed!), and a heart full of memories.
Lindsay, you and your performances belong to the world, but to me you’ll always be “my” Bionic Woman. And the offer stands: come to Connecticut and we’ll have a retreat in my garden. Now that’s a combination of mind, body and soul that we’d all enjoy!
