The Sunday Salon

 

I belong to a classic film group. Every week our moderator chooses a movie and then we get together via Zoom to discuss it. We just watched Unfaithfully Yours, a 1948 romantic comedy about an imperious conductor and his younger wife, whom he believes is cheating. It seems everyone had something glowing to say about it.

"I loved it!" "I watched it twice." "One of my favorites!"

I hated it. I thought the conductor was an overbearing narcissist and, while I never for a moment believed his wife was unfaithful, I wouldn't have blamed her if she was.

Has this ever happened to you? Have you ever seen something, or read something, that absolutely everyone is raving about so you wondered if somehow you got a different copy?

I made progress on the biography I'm reading: Lady Bird and Lyndon by Betty Caroli. I'm very ambivalent about LBJ. His work on civil rights and Medicare was spectacular and truly life changing. Vietnam? What a painful chapter that was! Anyway, as I make my way through 480 pages, I'm surprised anew by how quickly Lady Bird fell in love with him and how committed she remained. She was 22 -- a financially independent new college grad starting out on life -- when she was fixed up with the 26-year-old politician. Three months later they married. It was the most impulsive thing this cautious woman would ever do in her life, but she never looked back, never wavered. 

I gotta tell you: I don't get it. Bird was so smart, a natural businesswoman. She also had tremendous people skills. Except for a stepmother she didn't trust, it doesn't seem she made any real enemies throughout her entire life. Yet she seemed to feel lucky to have married this man! I think he married up. A friend's mom used to advise us: girls, there's a lid for every pot. Maybe she was right, and these two were made for each other. At any rate, I think LBJ hit the jackpot when he went on that blind brunch date with Bird.

Do you believe there's someone for everyone?

Check out other Sunday Salon participants here.

Sunday Stealing

 QUESTIONS TO ASK FRIENDS

1. What emotion do you experience the most? Joy. Even in the worst times, I can find something that lifts my heart. I'm blessed that way.

2. What embarrasses you most in front of other people? When I don't "get it." It infuriates and embarrasses me when I miss the point.

3. What do you love most about yourself? See #1.

4. Who has influenced you the most? I'll answer by saying that my best qualities -- my love of the little things, my affection for animals -- came from my mom. Are these qualities emulated or inherited? I don't know.

5. What would you like to change about yourself? I wish I wasn't so lazy and easily distracted.

6. If you could do one thing for the rest of your life, what would it be? Work at an animal shelter.

7. If you had the option of adopting a baby fox of baby koala, which would it be? Neither. Wild animals should not be housepets.

8. If you had to be on a reality show, which would it be? Something starring Honey Boo-Boo. Because I like saying, "Honey Boo-Boo."

9. If you could live anywhere in the world for a year, where would it be? A London townhouse. I think a year would give me a good idea of what life is like in a city I've long read about.

10. How many bones have you broken? Two

11. What do you fear about getting older? Being helpless.

12. How do you relieve stress? I nap.

13. Are your feet the same size? The same size as what?

14. 100 kittens or 3 baby sloths? Kittens. See #7. Though I have to tell you, kittens are exasperating.

15. What do you want more than anything else in life? Serenity.

Saturday 9

Beautiful Day (2000)

Unfamiliar with this week’s song? Hear it here.

1) This song is about finding joy in an imperfect world. What brings you joy today? Nothingness. I had a super busy week at work. A weekend with nothing on my calendar is just what the doctor ordered.

2) The lyrics mention being stuck in traffic. A poll of Boston commuters revealed that drivers have a variety of responses to be stuck in traffic — everything from bored to impatient to angry. How do you feel when you’re stuck in a traffic jam? It depends where I'm headed. If I'm trying to make it to the theater, or I have a plane to catch, I freak out. But otherwise, I just let it go. There's nothing really to be done.

3) This year Bono and his wife, Ali, celebrate their 40th wedding anniversary. Who is the longest-married couple you know? That would be my friend Mindy and her hubs. They are coming up on (gulp!) 40 years! They have been through difficult times -- finances, fertility -- but they have always been sure of each other. I think that's so romantic.

4) When Bono inducted Frank Sinatra into the Grammy Hall of Fame, he complimented Frank on his “swagger.” Do you think you have “swagger?” At times, at work, when the ground is very solid beneath my feet.

5) When U2 guitarist The Edge did a charity concert at the Sistine Chapel, he became the first rocker to perform there. If you were to travel to Rome, what sites would you be certain to visit? OK, ya got me. I'm really not all that interested in seeing Europe. It's such a long flight ... I only speak English ... I have a sensitive tummy .... all that said, I'm sure there are restaurants around Vatican City that would rock my pizza-loving world.

6) This week’s song was chosen because St. Patrick’s Day is coming up, and U2 is one of Ireland’s most famous exports. What else is Ireland famous for? Crystal

7) Corned beef and cabbage is a traditional St. Patrick’s Day dish. Is it a favorite of yours? I don't think I've ever had it. Am I missing something?

8) St. Patrick is credited with driving snakes out of Ireland. Ophiophobia is the fear of snakes. Do you suffer from ophiophobia? Not really. Snakes are not my favorite thing, but they don't freak me out.

9) St. Patrick’s Day fantasy: A leprechaun will share his gold with you, but you must request a specific amount for a single item. How much would you ask for, and what would you buy? $5,000 (I think). I'm getting a dental implant.