Vulnerability.
And, I get it. As a celebrity, it can be dangerous to let your guard down, as not everyone deserves to be in your private circle where they are privy to your innermost thoughts. This much was cofirmed
the following day when Bailey invited me to her husband’s posh restaurant, Bar One, for celebratory cocktails.
“In photo shoots, I can give you vulnerable all day,” she explained while munching on a appealing sampler platter of fish, chicken and other delectable treats from the chef. “But I can’t afford to be vulnerable in my every day life. That’s just not who I am. I’ve had to be independent ever since I moved from Alabama to New York right out of high school. Being on your own at age 18 will teach you very quickly that you have to keep your emotions in check and always stay in control. That’s probably why I can be such a control freak at times — because I’ve had to do everything on my own for such a long time.”
As we continued to eat, drink, and discuss the idiosyncrasies of life, I couldn’t help but think back to those words. For a person so guarded, and so calculated in her movements, I began to wonder why she was allowing this moment between us to happen … why did she seem so accommodating, when we had only met just 24 hours earlier? I quickly found the answer.
“I’m a big feelings person,” she confessed moments later, as we discussed the perils of trusting people within the entertainment industry. “I typically know right away if I have a good feeling about someone. If I do, then I’m open to following that feeling and seeing where it leads me. Most times though, I can sense the agendas of others, so I don’t let them in. Following my heart and my instincts has served me pretty well so far, and I don’t plan on changing my strategy now. I’m 45 years old, and while I’m still learning, I think I’ve been able to figure out a few things about life.”
And there it was … that was the moment I had been anticipating. That was the instant when I realized why Bailey always felt so out of place when viewed through a ”Housewives”-colored lens. It was because she owned who she was, and she wasn’t pretending at all for anyone.
