Three days ago, my husband and I picked up our good friends who flew in from Texas for a visit. We took them to breakfast and as we were sitting there, catching up, I felt someone bump my chair by accident, as the waiter led the party to their table. I glanced over, and saw that the gentleman who bumped my chair was the one and only Reggie Wells! I think I almost scared my group with my sharp intake of breath, and overall giddiness. My husband and friends got a quick bio from me about Mr.Wells, and we quickly dubbed him as, “The Michael Jordan of Makeup.”
I knew in my heart that I needed to briefly (and quickly) let Mr. Wells know how much he has inspired me to continue to work on my craft, and make my mark in the makeup world. I introduced myself and told Reggie that after hearing him speak at The Makeup Show-Chicago in 2011, I did some self-reflection and realized that I needed to take a leap of faith, and leave the field of education (Reggie’s previous career), and move forward with plans
Picture taken by Tiffany Payne-Griffin, 2011
to work as an artist full-time. We chatted briefly, and after Reggie inspected my eyebrows (I got the seal of approval), he gave me a big hug, wished me well and I floated back to my table on cloud 9. Does it matter if Reggie ever remembers this conversation? No. What matters is that I am so grateful that I had an opportunity to thank Mr. Wells, a pioneer in the field. He has paved the way for so many other artists, especially African-American artists, and shares life lessons every time he speaks.
Filed under: Beauty and Other Items on My Agenda Tagged: Grateful, Reggie Wells, The Makeup Show Chicago
