On Books: The Help

Whenever a movie based on a novel comes out, I cringe a little bit. Maybe it's a personal bias, but fiction never translates absolutely from the page to the screen. Nevertheless, having recently finished this book, I am REALLY excited to see the movie.

This book was particularly interesting to me because of my family background. My mother is from an Italian immigrant family and was raised in Philadelphia's Little Italy. She attended Catholic school K-12 and can still remember the two girls in her graduating class who did NOT have Italian last names. My father was born and raised in rural New Hampshire. He had 5 brothers and sisters. There wasn't much money. Needless to say, nobody in my family tree ever employed any servants and the Civil Rights movement was news from afar that had little impact on their personal lives.

I guess because of this, I think of it as ancient history. Because it didn't directly affect my family I think of it as something that happened a long time ago. I've even wondered at times why black/white racism is still such a big issue.

This book shed new light on the subject.

I realized while reading that had my mother been born into a different social class and in a different location, she too may have been practically raised by a black maid, like so many of the characters in the book were. Had my father been the son of a Mississippi businessman, he could have been nursed when he was sick and fed breakfast each morning by a servant who was more invested in his well-being than his own mother. And had this been the case, they both would have been taught somewhere along the way that the same person who cared for them as children was less human, less important and less worthy of respect than they, simply because of their skin color.

Which made me realize... this is not ancient history. This is current. This is my parent's generation and so my generation is certainly directly affected.

Call this an obvious realization if you will, but it changed my perspective.
Read the book. It's good.

For Whom the Bell Tolls (a post On Weddings)

I'm a pretty practical person. I am thrifty and I like a bargain. I like things to make sense and for decisions to be logical. I don't like massive shows of emotion. They make me uncomfortable.

BUT

In 65 days I will put on an expensive ivory dress that I will wear one time only. I will spend hours getting primped and I will finally walk down the aisle to become The Lieutenant's wife. The celebration has taken 8 months to plan but will last only a couple of hours

...and I'm super excited.

So what is it about this wedding that throws my usual practicality out the window and causes me to become a person who cries without warning and maintains a countdown in my head? I guess I've got a romantic side.

But the thing is, my countdown is not really about the wedding. It's about what comes after. It's about having someone who loves me enough to want me around for forever. It's about knowing that person will always be there because he is dependable and trustworthy. It's about knowing that even though things will not be perfect, they will always be OK because whatever happens, we will work it out together. To me, THAT'S romantic.

And I, for one, can't wait.

On Becoming A Lady of Leisure

As a 20-something girl in the full time work force, I have found the 9-to-5 (or in my case 8-to-5) world to be most disappointing. As I told The Lieutenant recently, my new aspiration in life is to become a Lady of Leisure. There are several supporting reasons for this decision noted below:

1. When faced with a choice between work and leisure, I always choose leisure- a value that every Lady of Leisure must uphold.
2. A Lady of Leisure should be always occupied, but never busy. For instance: I have several dozen craft ideas in various stages of completion. Because of my constant inspiration, I will always be occupied. Because of my wonderful lack of follow-through, I will never be busy. 
3. Everyone knows that a Lady of Leisure must have, at best, a voracious appetite for books- at least a mild interest in the current events and the news. I happen to be a fantastic reader and can finish an interesting book within record time. This talent should not be overlooked.
4. Obviously a Lady of Leisure must not have children, as children are the anthithesis of leisure. I do not have children, therefore I am an excellent candidate

Obstacles to said goal (and my plans to overcome them) are as follows:

• A true Lady of Leisure should be independently wealthy or have a wealthy benefactor, therefore freeing her to enjoy whatever pastime she sees fit. I unfortunately have neither, but am currently looking into whether a hard-working husband can be substituted.
• The social stigma of being well-educated yet unemployed: I believe that this misunderstanding can be cleared up by simply explaining my situation to the interested parties. I find that in this time of economic unrest it is only fair that I (who have no desire to work) allow my job to be bestowed upon one of those souls who are unhappily unemployed. Therefore, my becoming a lady of leisure is for the greater good.

I am convinced that when faced with these facts, The Lieutenant will have no other option than to see the sense in my decision.