Iconic Photo: Photo 3

Marilyn Monroe in dance training
image by J. R. Eyerman
circa 1948

Marilyn Monroe would be 85 today.

This photo was taken by well-known Hollywood photographer J.R. Eyerman before anyone really knew of a woman named Marilyn Monroe. His choice to film the training session of a then-unknown actress was unusual for Eyerman, but based in him seeing some quality in her that held his attention. He just had a hunch.

At this point in her career she'd shown up in a few box office flops, and the name had been given to Miss Norma Jean but no one yet knew the world changing, highly iconic career she would go on to have. Marilyn Monroe became one of the most recognizable women in the history of Hollywood. She moved to Los Angeles with the hopes of establishing herself in the world of acting, fame, glamor, and riches. There is no doubt she succeeded.

This photo is a great reminder that every important goal in our lives has its early stages--early stages that are completely integral to reaching our goals later--and also a reminder that even before we know where life will take us there are people that have a hunch, that we connect with and that without quite knowing why just believe we can get there. Those two things are most of what achieving our goals amounts to, it would seem--honor the stages and experience of our progress, and to remember a lot of our success arises from our connecting spontaneously with other people. They meet us, and they get a hunch. We just gotta keep on training.