A Glimpse of Pat Benatar

Today, I went to Borders Bookstore in Copley Square for a book signing by Pat Benatar.

Benatar recently released a memoir titled Between a Heart and a Rock Place.

Now I'm not a huge fan of her music but very early in her career she worked with Harry Chapin in an off-Broadway musical he wrote called The Zinger. In December 1987, when Chapin was posthumously honored with the Congressional Gold Medal, Benatar paid tribute to him by singing a cover of his 1974 song "Shooting Star."

Unfortunately, the book signing made the Department of Motor Vehicles look like a model of efficiency. I had to wait in line only to be told I needed to get a copy of the book, a receipt and a wrist band. Fortunately, I had bought the book a couple of days ago and still had the receipt. So all that was left for me to do was to get the wrist band which I did. However, I was wearing a yellow wrist band not a blue one so I was told I couldn't line up but that we would be called to do so. We never did get that call so I lined up on my own.

After about an hour or so, I finally caught a glimpse of Pat Benatar. But with only one person in front of me in line her handler said she didn't have any more time to sign autographs and that we were to leave the vicinity of area immediately. So I didn't get my book signed.

But I did manage to read a fair amount of the book while waiting in line. Pat Benatar has lived the American dream. Her talent for singing was discovered while she attended school and she spent years being classically trained only to give up on music when she married. After several years working in a bank in South Carolina she went to a Liza Minelli concert and said, "I can do this." She quit her job at the bank and began to pursue happiness in music and within a few short years became a force in rock n' roll. Of course, Pat Benatar has more talent than most of us. But if not for her confidence in her talent and for her enormous determination she would not have fulfilled her dreams.

The message here is that if you can do something well then find a way to do it. In other words, hit it with your best shot.