We met in 1988.
And 1988 was not a small year for Sally Kirkland.
She had just won the Golden Globe.
She was nominated for an Academy Award.
She was running against Cher.
The paparazzi loved her.
A year or so later, she asked me to accompany her to the Oscars.
After youāre nominated, you can continue attending as a guest ā and she brought me.
And I was trying to be known. Trying to be seen. Trying to look important in a tuxedo.
I remember thinking,Ā This is it. Iām stepping into the big time.
And then the moment came.
I was invited.
Pause.
To hold her shoes.
That was my red carpet debut.
Flashbulbs exploding.
āSALLY! SALLY! OVER HERE!ā
And there she was ā radiant, fearless, completely at home.
And behind her?
Me.
Holding the heels.
And hereās the truth ā I wasnāt embarrassed.
I was learning.
Because Sally never shrank in those moments.
She took up space.
She belonged there.
And watching her taught me something I didnāt yet know I needed to learn ā how to stand in your light without apology.
āø»
Through Sally ā and because I was often driving J-R around ā I found myself in rooms I had no business being in.
Oscar parties.
Backstage gatherings.
Rooms filled with people you only see on magazine covers.
One night, there he was.
Bob Dylan.
Sally had dated Bob Dylan.
So suddenly Iām backstage with Sally, with J-Rā¦ and Bob Dylan.
And Iām thinking,Ā What do I say? Do I quote lyrics? Do I pretend I donāt recognize him?
Before I can figure it out, something extraordinary happens.
J-R walks in wearing cowboy boots.
Bob Dylan is wearing cowboy boots.
And instead of discussing musicā¦ or destinyā¦ or fameā¦or Spirituality
They talk about boots.
Leather. Stitching. Where they were made.
For a full minute.
Two icons.
Boot diplomacy.
And Iām standing there thinking,
āThis is either the most profound moment of my lifeā¦ or the strangest.ā
And what I realized later was this:
Greatness doesnāt need to perform greatness.
Sometimes it just notices the boots.
āø»
Now let me tell you something about Sally that mattered deeply to me.
At a time when I was still largely unknown, Sally fought for me to be cast opposite her in a film.
Think about that.
An Academy Award nominee ā at the height of recognition ā risking her stature on someone who was still finding his footing.
She didnāt protect her spotlight.
She shared it. Promoting MSIA, J-R, John
She didnāt guard her credibility.
She invested it.
That takes confidence.
That takes generosity.
That takes courage.
And she had all three.
āø»
Later in life, I had the honor of casting her inĀ Spiritual WarriorsĀ and working with her again inĀ The Wayshower.
Life is funny.
You start out holding someoneās shoes.
And one day youāre directing them.
And Sally never made that strange.
She never made it hierarchical.
She was as committed in a spiritual film as she was on a red carpet.
Same fire.
Same dedication.
Same willingness to go all in.
She didnāt do anything halfway.
āø»
And hereās something people donāt always talk about.
If you wanted to learn promotion ā you studied Sally Kirkland.
This was before social media.
Before branding experts.
Before ācontent strategy.ā
Sally was a promotional force of nature.
She believed in the work.
And because she believed in it, she made other people believe.
She didnāt wait for permission.
She didnāt wait to be discovered.
She moved.
She called.
She showed up.
She created momentum.
I learned from her.
Not just how to promote a film.
How to promote a vision.
How to stand for something and say, āThis matters.ā
āø»
When I think of Sally, I donāt just think of awards.
I think of movement.
Energy.
Audacity.
She moved through rooms like she belonged ā because she did.
And she brought people with her.
Even the driver.
Especially the driver.
āø»
Sallyā¦
Thank you for the red carpets.
Thank you for the cowboy boots.
Thank you for believing in me before I fully believed in myself.
Thank you for teaching me that light isnāt something you wait for.
Itās something you step into.
You didnāt whisper your life.
You declared it.
And I was lucky enough to stand close enough to feel the echo.
Rest in peace, my friend.
Iāll hold the shoes anytime.
Love you Sally!!!!
Jsu Garcia with Sally Kirkland in Israel 1989-1990 PAT IV.
Dearest Jsu – Your open-hearted appreciation of our Beloved Sally is yet another reflection of your own open-hearted, over-flowing loving. We all loved Sally … and we all love You.
Love you Rama!!
Beautiful tribute to Sally, and wonderfully honest and humble share about your own growth. How blessed are we to have this way of life!
Such beautiful thoughts and testimony. Sallyās courage and audacity are a model as was her loving. I worked mostly with here when I was learning to facilitate Insight and creating Insight in the southwest US. She inspired me as she did you, to stand up as myself and dare to know that I could do it well and inspire others.
Two wonderful amazing people in my life via JR. So blessed
Love you both
Thank you for your beautiful reflections, Jsu. In the late 80ās I randomly met Sally in a crowded public restroom in NY. She boldly insisted on borrowing my lipstick, and in front of the mirror and a small āaudienceā she worked J-R into a brief āperformanceā and declared āLight knows Light if you look for itā and āLight finds Light if youāre open to it.ā What a gift! As you wrote, she was a master promoter of herself and of the Teachings. She āoutedā my spirituality and with her relentless encouragement, I later moved to LA to join MSIA staff and we became fast friends. She was a force and so are you. My life is better for knowing you both. Love you
Beautifully written, Jesus!
Beautifully written, Jsu. Thank you for your heartfelt sharing.
God bless you –
Thank you, Jsu for those highlights. I really appreciated your comments and I love the way you presented it. I experience you the way you describe Sally, being very outgoing, forthright, speaking up, saying whatās on your mind. Youāre a good example for me.
And clearly a great student!
Jsu,
Your honoring and sharing of Sally in your life experience is uplifting and a joy. Thank you for your gift of the Spirit. Light and Loving in all that you do. Thank you, Lord.
Love you all
Sally was a force of love and Light. Her connection from the Philly Days to Santa Monica was inspiring Thank you Sally for shining light and grace.
I have read it in one breath
Thank you
Thank you Zeus. So well shared.
What a beautiful tribute Jsu! I learned so much on different levels and I loved the way you shared Sallyās essence and your own essence.