We came to New York for business. But before any business was had, we found ourselves on a rooftop. On the Fourth of July. Overlooking the Hudson. With a perfect view of the fireworks. (And perhaps a vodka-ish drink in our hands.)

Oh, hello, interesting twists and turns of life.

The roof was full of young hipsters (no PBR to be seen), save for the couple of ladies sitting next to us. Their names were Barbra and Zara. Second-cousins through marriage, and best of friends. Zara, the never-been-married, 82-years-old-in-a-month former professor, told us that she’d been around the world three times, but insisted that she travels only by boat.

Toting her vintage red lacquered folding chair and decked out in her head-to-toe pinstripe suit, red headscarf and oversized Jackie-O-esque sunglasses, there was nothing about Zara that blended in on that rooftop. She was not just smart; she was learned. She was feisty and genteel at the same time. She had very strong opinions and slow, 82-years-old-in-a-month gestures to add emphasis. And when some of the youngin’s lit up a cigar, she marched right on over and told them what she thought of their pollution and whispered for them to put it out. Yes, she whispered. In a loud crowd 20 strong. And they complied (though not without a small bit of guffawing).

I’ve been thinking about Zara a lot in the last few days. She struck a chord in me of some sort. The character that she is (because she is indeed a character) could stand for so many different ideas. Feminism. Intellectualism. New Yorkism. Fashion-through-the-ages-ism. What have you. But for me she embodies so much more than a particular social cause. She’s bigger than that. Or perhaps it’s just where my head is at these days. 

To me, she’s about fearlessness. It’s not that she’s fearless. She is fearlessness. The noun. Embodied. A bigger thing than a mere adjective, yes?

And isn’t that what we all want? For our businesses? For our clients? For ourselves? At least some small bit of fearlessness? A way to move past the everyday, the routine, and see a bigger picture, a larger passion, and then embrace it. We may pass on the pinstripes, but to be able to know instantly what we want, where we want to go and what we want to do…and then to do it…is rare. Zara makes decisions and acts on them. She doesn’t seem to muddle or let problems fester. She doesn’t overdo it on the planning, she simply “does.”

So what gets us to fearlessness? In large part it’s about following gut reactions. It seems that the more we listen to that mushy abdominal area, the more fascinating we become.

But that’s another whole post.

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