As Mary would summarize her story:
“It all started when I found a wallet. Routine maintenance on a fifteen-passenger van and out drops a wallet. That gets me fired. The next day I am in Fort Meade, home of the National Security Agency. They have a job for me. For reasons of their own, they want me to do a series of YouTube videos on car maintenance for women. Odd, right? Six months later, I am popular enough to warrant an invitation to a big convention and a chance to meet auto executives. One was from China. The guy was gorgeous. Treated me right. Would I go with him to China? Absolutely.
Loved the man, lived with the man, almost married the man. Change in direction (he married someone else). I stayed in China and did some tourism videos for Chinese cities. That somehow led to bit parts in local movies. Bit parts became bigger parts. The movies I did were of interest to the Chinese government, and to our government. My interest was in the director. Loved the man, lived with the man, decided he would be my husband and the father of my children. Complications along the way? Yup. But he was the one. I was sure. Well, mostly sure.”