Looking out my window...

Bridge Over Troubled Water

 
Drainage Pipe Photo found on internet.

Are you afraid of something? I mean like a phobia of a specific thing? Do you remember how you found out you were afraid? One horrible winter day, when I was in my very early teens, I had an experience I will never forget.

My girlfriend and I decided to take a walk from the older side of town to a new addition that was being built. In between the two locations was a vast wild field. A small creek flowed through the meadow, although we did not know it at the time. "Cuz this was an adventure!"

There was about six inches of snow over the ground, blown away in some parts, with high drifts in others. Even so, do you think we wore boots? Ha! Never on your tintype. As we walked along, our feet would sometimes break through a crust of ice between the snow and the ground, and our shoes would get wet from the melting ice beneath. The walking was hard work and it would take a bit of time to get to our destination.

About three-quarters of the way we finally came upon the creek. Now that I think of it, it was probably a drainage ditch rather than a creek. But, creek sounds better for the story. It was about 20 feet across with an immediate drop to about four feet below. The water was frozen.

We would never have dared to walk across it, knowing that the ice would probably break. But, we were in luck. There was a huge cement pipe coming out of the ground, going across the ditch, and entering the ground on the other side. It was a huge pipe, maybe four to five feet in diameter, making it easy peasy to cross. Aha, a bridge!!!

My friend went first. Not slowly, but carefully, as I watched. Okeedookee, my turn. I took a few steps and got out almost to the middle when I looked down. I don't know what happened to me, but I couldn't move any further. My friend yelled at me to "come on." But, I was frozen in place. "I can't!" I yelled back.

And, I couldn't. Standing there, my two feet secured themselves on the cement pipe, my arms out to my side like a circus tight rope walker. Nope, those feet weren't about to go anywhere. I think I was in a state of mortal fear. "Walk!" she said. "I can't move!" I answered.

And, there we were. But, where was superman when I needed him. "Go baaaack!" she said. "I can't move!" I answered. I couldn't even move my head. I was like one of those wax figures in Madame Tussaud's Wax Museum.

Time stood still.

I was frantically thinking I had to do something. But, what? I finally decided to lower myself down on the pipe so I would be straddling it, rather than standing. "Good, crawl over to me!" she said. "No, I can't!"

I ended up butt walking, more or less, backwards to the beginning of the pipe and was able to crawl onto the ground. I could breathe once more.

I had been terrified, helpless and cold. I couldn't feel my feet anymore. My face was covered with frozen tears. I needed my mommy.

My parents weren't home that day. Fortunately, the minister of my church lived close by. We stopped there. I told my sad story through more tears. Telling him that my feet were frozen and I feared frostbite. He and his wife took care of me very tenderly and seriously. Just the right combination for dealing with a young teenager: I felt loved and I was being taken seriously.

So, that's my story about discovering I was afraid of heights. Well, not exactly heights. Just anything above ground level. Even today, if I am going down or up stairs, I suffer from vertigo. And, don't even ask me about driving in the mountains!

My regret is, I never had an opportunity to tell Alfred Hitchcock my story. I think it would have made a good movie.

Oh, and what brought all this to mind is a video that my dear Roger Ebert had on his blog. Hold on and enjoy.

 

My Grandmother and The Suffragettes

 
Susan B. Anthony, American Suffragette.

 

When I was a VERY little girl, I remember my Grandmother (my mother's mother) would always participate as an election judge during the voting season. I could tell it was important to her. And, I would never understand why later in her life she changed from Methodist to Jehovah Witness - and, in doing so was told not to vote.

It was 1920 when women in the United States of America were finally permitted to vote. And that memory of my Grandmother as an election judge has stayed with me to today.

We owe those Suffragettes a huge debt of gratefulness for the harsh and deadly trauma they experienced. To pay that debt women need to vote. I always vote. And I always remember.

Below is a film trailer "Made in Dagenham" that opens this year. It's about women trying to get equal pay for equal work. In 1968.

And, we are still trying.

 

And, on it goes. How do we cope? We are women!

 

Flying Against The Wind

If you have read my blogs before, you know I enjoy watching the birds out my window.

One day, I could see by our tree that the wind was exceptionally strong. And, I might add, exceptionally strong means very strong. The wind here in the country is normally strong on a daily basis.

Anyway, as I noticed the wind I also noticed the feeder birds were having some difficulty staying on the feeder. And, then it happened. One of the wee finches hanging on to the top of the feeder for dear life decided to fly off.

As I watched I started to giggle. She was flapping her wings with all her might. But, she wasn't going anywhere. Flying in place. She was, after all, flying directly into the wind. She did not give up. Finally, she didn't stop flapping, but rather veered a degree or two (it didn't take much) to the left and managed to get to our Linden tree. A life lesson the lucky of us learn.

Since I hadn't the time to tape her, I tried to look for something similar on YouTube so I could show you how it looked. Unfortunately I couldn't.

Now, being in the same position as the wee finch...heading in one direction and not getting anywhere...I veered a little and look what I found.  

  

This is a video for a game called "Angry Birds." A game I happen to have the free version on my iPod.

And then I found this delightful Pixar animated film.

 

 I watched the Pixar video the morning before my doctor's appointment. Enjoying it thoroughly.

Once I was in the examining room I took out my iPod and started playing "Angry Birds." I don't usually do this, but it was in my head.

When the doctor comes in we usually shake hands. This time, because of the iPod, my response wasn't as quick. He looked at the iPod. I told him I had been playing a game about angry birds. His eyes opened wide and looked at the iPod screen.

He said "Birds?"

"Yes."

"Have you seen the Pixar movie about birds?"

"Ummm"

"It has all these birds on a wire and a big bird comes and..."

"Oh, you mean....."

"Yes!"

"I just watched it this morning!"

"This morning?" Looking at me with even wider eyes. "How is that?" "This morning?" Laughter and amazement on both our parts. "We should play the lottery!"

And, so we continued to talk about animated films and birds and my blood pressure went down. It was all good. My doctor and I don't agree on somethings, but I do love him and his quirky ways. He'll usually say something like "Sharon, you are a crazy woman!" sometime during our visit.

We almost always laugh together about life.
 

Below is a video of our dog Copper watching the Pixar film. Well... okay, it's not Copper, but it looks like him.

 

And remember:

When your direction is being blocked veer a degree or two and it just might be enough to get you where you want to be...

 

Prissy: Lawzy, we got to have a doctor. I don't know nothin' 'bout birthin' babies.

  Baby Robin on Fence

After losing my managerial position at the hospital, I finally found a place to work downtown. The Office Manager interviewed me. I liked her immediately. A kinship was formed. A few months after being hired I told her that I thought we had to be sisters separated at birth. She agreed. We laughed.

I'm caucasian and she is african-american. So what. We were both women of a certain age and working.  We had a wonderful time working with each other, her being my "boss" wasn't a problem for us. We laughed at the same things, remembered the same things. We could finish each other's sentences. It was one of my most delightful working experiences. No, it was one of my most delightful experiences, period. Someone could say something in front of us and we'd just look at each other and "knew." We were, however, professionals, so most of the time we wouldn't laugh, out loud.

Then I got laid off. This was the second time within a few years. And I know why (I was older. made more money than others and the zinger was I had been diagnosed with cancer a few months earlier.) I could have sued. I didn't. My family isn't of that nature.

It took me six months before I found another job. Which, by the way, turned into my favorite two years of working my whole life. While in training by my predecessor, who was perhaps 20 years old, I became so confused I could hardly stand it. She was talking a mile a minute, and my "old but wise" brain was having difficulty following her. I could take all the blame, but sadly her communication skills were nil, so it was like trying to translate what she was saying into something I could understand.

Any how, forgetting where I was, all of a sudden I said quite animatedly "Lawdy, Lawdy Miss Scarlet! I don't know nothing about birthing no babies!" Please note the title of this blog is the actual and correct quote, but oh well, close enough.

She stopped and looked at me as if I had lost my mind. Oh, dear, I thought. The pause was pregnant. The pause was pregnant for what seemed like 9 months. So, I said: Oh, I was quoting from a movie. Have you heard it before? She said: no. I said: You know, "Gone With The Wind?" She said: no.

Where or where was my sister separated at birth when I needed her most?

A day later we were having lunch with two other gals when I asked her: So, what was it that made him decide to hire me? She said: Well, he asked me who did I think should he hire, and I said I think the older woman was interesting. And he said: Oh, the one who wrote about the forest and trees!

So, that's how I got the job. From one description of my abilities that said; I am able to see the forest and the trees.

I asked her, do you know what the phrase "Can't see the forest for the trees" means? I'll let you guess what her answer was.

Any way, what brought the Gone With The Wind quote to mind is the excerpt of article below, which I found on Roger Ebert's twitter.

Beep-beep-m beep-beep, yeah
By Jim Emerson on June 2, 2010 9:27 PM

Over Memorial Day weekend I attended a high school graduation in Albuquerque. One of the graduating senior boys gave a speech using car parts as a metaphor for the components of a personality or identity. It was a clever speech he'd co-written with a friend, delivered with wry humor. Afterwards, the head of the school -- a man I'd estimate was in his 60s -- took the stage and thanked the student, quipping: "Baby, you can drive my car anytime."

Thud. Thunderous silence mixed with scattered, bewildered titters.

The next night at a graduation party, the kid who'd given the speech was standing around with a few friends and the uncomfortable subject came up.

"What was that?" he said. "'Baby, you can drive my car?!?'"

"It was creepy," said one of the girls.

I piped in: "It was creepy -- because it was totally inappropriate and made no sense. Unless he was trying to seduce you. He was just making a Beatles reference."

"Oh!" exclaimed a couple of students.

"I didn't even think of that," said the boy. "But still, it was creepy."

It was probably even creepier for those of us who did recognize what the old guy was lamely attempting to invoke. These kids were 16 and 17, so naturally I felt a little... old having to mention what I'd thought was obvious, if still undeniably awkward. Then again, one of them had earlier quoted Taylor Swift (sarcastically) and I didn't get that, either.

...As We Know It

Okay, so last night, I paid to view the above film (2012) on cable. It had John Cusak in it and I love John Cusak. I love Sci-Fi. Good Sci-Fi and even some not so good Sci-Fi. I have yet to read my favorite critic's review (Roger Ebert). So, bravely I go forth with my opinion of the movie. THEN, I will read Roger's take on it.

First, let me tell you about my father. He was a very good man and also very good at scrabble. And very smart.

Back in the day, when families watched television together, sitting in front of the TV, someone usually sat close enough to the TV to manually change channels when needed...which actually has nothing to do with this blog. I guess it's scene setting. I remember the following:

We'd be watching a movie and all of a sudden my Dad would say something to the effect of "he's going to die" or "she's going to leave him" or "the guy in the glasses did it." In other words, he was foretelling what was going to happen. And, he was always right. When his prediction came true I'd say "Dad, how did you know that?" And he smiled.

After years of this, I finally told him "Don't do that! You're spoiling it!" He'd smile. Then one day I said to him "Dad how do you do that?" And, he smiled.

Then. once when I was a teenager,  I asked and he said "Honey, there's only so many endings." I thought about that. It's the kind of knowledge that comes with living, experiencing movies, and different plot formulas. It's almost like algebra.

And now, today, I'm doing the same thing he did. That is why I REALLY like a movie that I can't figure out. LOVE 'EM. "Memento" is a good example. Didn't have a clue. Had to watch it several times. Oh, and "Alien" the 1st ever woman hero! When the last cute guy was killed off, I was shocked!

So...the plot for "2012" is simple. The world is going to end. Someone is going to try to save it. Some will live, some will die. And in between a lot of special effects.

Could have been a good movie. Wasn't. By the end I was almost hysterical with internal laughter because it was so STUPID. It was stupid because of the writing.

Sample of dialog: old black (African American, Negro, Person of Color) man during last phone conversation with son.."Son, I love you...(no please, please don't say it)God knowz I dew!" OMG It's "Gone with The Wind."

Then, young scientist explaining to person of power "The world is ending, (no, no, no...OMG he said it) as we know it." Every scene, okay, maybe every other scene has this kind of dialog

Cusak is addicted to his laptop (probably likes to tweet, eh Roger?) It's the reason he and his wife divorced. He has more of a relationship with the laptop than his kids. Near the end of the movie he has his laptop in a shoulder bag (never without it) while trying to save someone. In his effort the laptop falls into eternity, he watches it, and then saves the man. Is the symbolism lost on anyone? UG!

Good special effects. NOT! These days, you expect the cgi's to be excellent and life like. The special effects in this movie looked like someone had watched all previous World Ending movies from the last 20 years, then cut and pasted them into this movie. Come on guys. Where's PhotoShop when you need it.

The disasters that befall our world don't stop. It's much like the tv commercials (as seen on tv) where you get 3 rags for a dollar, but wait there's more! They just keep coming.

And lastly, John Cusak. John, whatever possessed you to do this film! You're a good Chicago actor. Are you an idiot? You need the money that much? What!? As a fan, I'd like an explanation. How many "takes" were done before you could say your lines without bursting into laughter?

And, Woody! What were you thinking. You're weird enough without the facial hair and LSD tripping as you meet your Tsunami!

So...thumbs down on this one, or my new bad movie indicator: "Release the Kraken!"

Now, I'm going to go read Roger's review.

OMG! Roger gave it 3 1/2 Stars. Well, like I said in another blog, Roger and me have so much in common, we like the same movies.

Wait, I get it, it was a comedy. Okay then, I give it 3 stars. LOL

 

Flinging It

Dancing is one of my favorite things. Since my childhood, I've loved it. Would be hard for you to know that if I didn't write this blog.

As a young child I was able to take dancing lessons. Ballet, specifically. I hated it because I'm not a very good speller. Especially words in French. So what the heck does that have to do with dancing?!

My ballet instructor would begin the class by having us write on the floor, in chalk, various dance steps in French. Once you spelled the word correctly you could proceed to the dancing part. While others in my class danced their little hearts away, I sat on the floor with chalk dust all over my leotard.

I came to hate the class so much that even at around age six or so, I would go off to my lessons, waving and smiling back at my mother, only to never get there. I would return later telling her "I had fun. Love ballet." Once in a while I would go to class. But always with the same results.

And then came our "performance recital" for the parents. OMG! If I remember correctly my mother came to see me dance with the group. I, of course, was mortified. I didn't know the steps let alone the routine. More afraid of telling anyone the truth, I did perform. Watching other's movements, I tried to imitate but was a few seconds off. Afterward, I finally had to tell my mother. So much for dance lessons. Although I think if I had taken "tap"...

But I did love to dance. I used to watch all the old B movies on TV with Fred and Ginger. Even in black and white the dancing was like a dream sequence. My whole self would move...dipping, swaying and twirling. I was "in heaven."

As a latch key kid, I would get home and turn on music. With no one there, I could be in my own world and dance and dance and dance. I would, like Fred, jump onto things with my arms up above my head. From chair to chair. Chair to couch. Couch to floor. Twirling. Stepping. I would get so dizzy. Magical. I was in a place untouched by the real world. So all into myself and my dreams. I still have that place. But, now, I have shared it with you.

When I was a teenager the "first" real dance craze was the "twist." And boy, did I. Twist, swing, mashed potatoes...all those.

Later on, I learned to Square Dance. My folks had Square Dance friends and they would invite me to join in. Loved it.

While in college I took a Modern Dance class. Loved it. Then I took a Folk Dance class. I loved it, too. And now we come to why I attached the above Scottish Fling video. I learned that fling in the Folk class and performed it as a solo for my final. Got an A+.

And, I didn't have to spell anything! Ain't life grand?