My Love Letter to Jane Fonda
One Monday in 5th grade, I was standing in the lunch line when a kid next to me asked what I did over the weekend. With full enthusiasm, I said, “I saw On Golden Pond! It was so good. Have you seen it?” By the look on his face, my response was as popular as saying I want broccoli for lunch.
That day I realized my sensibilities for juvenile pop culture was not on point (I thought the Smurfs were silly). But when On Golden Pond won for Best Picture that year, I didn’t care. I loved Jane Fonda. She reminded me of my mom. Peter Fonda reminded me of my grandfather. To see another dysfunctional, non-communicative family spend the summer on the lake, well, I felt seen.
As an introvert with few Friday night plans, I spent a lot of weekends going to the movies with my parents. The luxury didn’t seem so fortunate at the time. I hid when I saw kids from school in the lobby, embarrassed that I was spending Friday night with my parents. Now, of course, I cherish that time and can’t help but think it layed the foundation for my love of film.
Fast forward to my first time in LA when I was contemplating making the move. I was enjoying my bolognese pasta at Cecconi’s in West Hollywood when lo and behold Jane Fonda was sitting at the next table over. Something about seeing her solidified my knowing that I was exactly where I was supposed to be. There was a feeling of expansive nostalgia seeing her at the round table of friends with her pooch in tow.
Since then, I’ve followed Jane Fonda’s activism and championed her causes, while also rooting and praying for her continued longevity. By the way, if you haven’t listened to her interview on Glennon Doyle’s podcast, I highly highly recommend it.
Fast forward once again to two days ago (July 28, 2023). Another brush with her majesty. I joined my law firm at the Netflix lot to support the WGA and SAG strikers. These folks are our clients, the creatives that make Hollywood function. And they are taking on the biggest of the biggest tech-meets-Hollywood studios (Netflix, Amazon, etc.) in their fight for a livable wage.
Turns out, we picked the perfect day. Jane Fonda made an appearance to speak on behalf of the SAG actors. I was two arm lengths away from her and could have gotten my picture with her had I really wanted to. But I didn’t need to. Knowing I was in her company told me once again I was exactly where I needed to be—on the right side of history.
Thank you Jane for the reminder to all of us.
❤️ Tisha