Drank a cup o' reality at 10:03 p.m. on Sunday, Jun. 20, 2004
I just watched the movie The House of Mirth it is based on a novel by Edith Wharton. Never having read the novel I have no idea how accurately it depicts the plot or characters. And, usually I make it a point to not watch movies based on books without having read the book… it feels like the English teacher stand to make.
But, it is a cloudy chilly June evening and as summer boredom has completely set in, I gave myself over to the Independent Film Channel.
Without giving much of the plot away I want to say that I was intrigued. There are parts of Miss. Lilly Bart that I completely related to (minus the depressing bit at the end). I am sure that Wharton’s original work addressed many themes and issues but in my initial viewing 2 struck me:
· How one misjudged and naive choice can have disastrous and unforeseeable long-term ramifications. More to the point, how one event can set into play an entire string of events that lead to disaster.
· And how stubbornness can be the ruin of a woman. Or was it the necessary dependence on either a man, or money, or preferably one attached to the other for a woman’s survival.
So, I watched on, gripped to the screen not even getting up for my own cup of tea or dish of ice cream. It was clearly not bedtime viewing material as my head is churning. And I keep turning over the question, how different am I, really, from her? How different is any single marriageable girl?
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Today I went with Gretchen et all to watch the marching band parade here in town. She and I have not seen much of each other since summer really began (for no good or noticeable reason) and it was fun to goof around. There were 19 bands all of varying degrees of talent. Fun nonetheless.
Appearing late to the afternoon event was Mr. Math’s Old Married Lady and her husband. They had placed their lawn chairs across from us before she saw me. Damn that she kept her sunglasses on so that I could not tell when she was looking at me. But, I know that she was because she had no other reason to look in my direction, and I’m unmistakable (I make a point of it!). I removed my sunglasses because I wanted her to know exactly when I was staring at her. There was also nothing unobvious about the way I pointed her out to Gretchen.
It was the first time that I ever really got the chance to size up the husband. They are a perfectly matched pair. I foresee no divorce in the works. I had this rising desire to walk up to her and say, “Look here, see, you already got your husband. He’s right here next to you. You don’t even really want Mr. Math, but damn-it I do. So, let him alone. You don’t love Mr. Math because if you did, you wouldn’t be here with this guy or you would have given up the affair. Quit messing up other people’s lives. You already got one: the beautiful farm, the horses, the nice cars, the bankroll, the husband and the kids. Be with your husband and your family; because you already have one and I don’t!!”
Instead we sat there glaring at each other.
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Oh, and Mr. Math hasn’t written me back since we discussed our student and her abortion.
I’m leaving well enough alone because I’ve rocked the boat enough. I’ll be lucky if I can bail out all of the water in this little canoe as is.
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Old Married Lady
And now, I'm old enough for that. - Thursday, Mar. 10, 2005
I don't get it! - Saturday, Feb. 26, 2005
Stardom - Saturday, Feb. 12, 2005
many neuroses - Saturday, Feb. 05, 2005
the week of missed connections - Sunday, Jan. 30, 2005
Miss Spunky is:
a 25 year old English teacher currently on an extended adventure in Minnesota, searching for a good man with a big... truck!
I love:
My students, excessive amounts of coffee, Baja Fresh and a good hockey game.
I dislike:
Ignorance, mosquitoes, and people who write in IM and/or grammar so poor that it is clear that they are lazy. IM is LAZY, LAZY do you hear me???