Brady Encounter: Susan Olsen at
Wellstar Kennestone Hospital Auditorium

By Steve Lucky

Susan Olsen's presentation was scheduled to begin at 6, but I was there before 5. Nothing ususual for me since I tend to give myself a comfortable error margin. As I waited for her to appear, I grew nervous. Although no stranger to the Brady Bunch, live meetings were something new to me. This was a person I had looked up to for as long as I can remember.

They began with a clip of Susan back in her Brady Bunch days when she was left hanging from the closeline. This was followed by a clip of her in modern times speaking migraines and how they had personally affected her. After the clips, she came out live and began speaking about her personal problems with migraine headaches in greater detail and what could be done about them.

When she first came out, I did not recognize her. Her hair was straight and came down a few inches past her shoulders and she was wearing a blue jacket with a red blouse underneath it that really did not stand out that much.

As she started speaking, I could tell this was indeed the one who played Cindy Brady, now many years older. She talked about her experiences with migraine headaches and how they had kept her away from a number of activities including a party that took place after filming the Brady Bunch. I could truly feel for her. I had always looked to her to help me with my problems, but now I knew that she had been having problems of her own.

In addition to Susan, two doctors, one male and one female, talked about the more technical aspects of migraine headaches. At the end was a question and answer session where the audience asked various questions about migraine related problems. The final question was about The Brady Bunch. Someone asked Susan if she still kept in touch with the other members of the cast. She talked about her recent trip to New York and said that she and Eve Plumb email each other practically every day.

At the end, I was able to hand her a plastic grocery bag containing some of my stories and a few other things. She asked if I wanted it back and I told her they were all copies and she could keep them. Then I asked her to sign one of my Brady Bunch books. She asked for my name. When I told her she said that Steve Lucky was a good name to have.

I wish I had said more, but my shyness got the best of me. As least I gave her the information I wanted to give her, even if she does not reply. While I was writing this, I saw her walk out carrying the grocery bag with her.


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