Think About It. July 28, 1975. Can you imagine? You wake up one sunny Santa Barbara morning with a reminder to head for the airport. On the runway is the sleekest, shiniest aircraft you’ve ever seen. They said it was built for Apollo Arlines by the first publicly traded British aircraft manufacturer, founded by Sir Frederick Handley Page. It had clocked only 90 air miles, with plans for a future of scheduled commuter flights, and no thoughts of its future as James Bond’s Moonraker. As I watched, two pilots and fifteen passengers boarded the charter flight to Tahoe. Invited aboard, I was greeted by still and video photographers, an attorney, accountant and a government specialist. Also in sight were various sales specialists and an administrative expert who had smoothed the path for Fess Parker and the highly popular governor Pat Brown, not to be confused with his son, recent California governor Jerry Brown.
As we flew northeast, we found it necessary to ask the pilots about the streets we saw below providing grids for what would have been a large community, excepting there was no sign of life. Turns out this Mojave desert site was a planned community called California City which had not grown as planned. Landing at Truckee airport, we were met by three limousines with drivers and official-looking Middle Eastern men. We were provided lodging in three chalet’s on the side of hills covered with snow in the winter, but now pleasantly welcoming for a summer visit.
Some of my California social friends were an interesting mixture of Middle Eastern immigrants who had brought large sums of financial reserves to provide comfort in their new environment. Among them were Iranians (preferring to be called Persian) and Saudi Arabians. It seemed that the Saudis were the best at providing dinner, with the men minding the barbecue. It was there I had learned that one of those not present was their friend who owned a large multi-million dollar parcel of land on a mesa overlooking one of Santa Barbara’s popular nude beaches. Thankfully they also taught me the appropriate way to do business in their former home countries. That was the reason for taking my staff and making the elaborate plans. Also my would-be client lived five hundred miles away.
We had made an appropriately impressive arrival and been accorded a corresponding welcome. Now host Prince Eddie Halimi (sp,)was ready to receive us in his comfortable offices. As a welcome surprise, he shared that he owned land there also, across from one of the largest casino hotels. That would add to the high stakes of our goal to increase the visibility of our already fast growing real estate marketing company. Business was put aside as our royal host led us to the private room of an opulent restaurant where we were treated to a fine dinner not including Shish kabob. Eddie was the gracious host and I was clearly the guest of honor. There was, of course, no talk of business and no bill to pay for me and my fifteen associates.
By noon the next day, after our group had gathered the necessary information, we were provided with a secretary, missing from our entourage. Appropriate agreements were signed, and this time with Champagne, we soared through friendly skies toward a triumphal return to then more modest offices at home. Wouldn’t it be great if this kind of exchange of courtesies continued instead of the tit for tat of death and destruction in the Middle East???
Oh, yes. I returned with a gold symbol of my birth sign, since it was my birthday, July 28, 1975.