This week we will bury my grandfather in Arlington National Cemetery. Although he passed back in the fall, the wait can be long to join the other American Hero’s in this sacred place. This has me reflecting again on his life, the eras he has lived through, and the experiences he collected. And I continue to return to the elegant way my grandparents approached their day to day life. Dressing up for dinner, cocktail hours daily, daily regiments seemed more important – yet there was a simplicity we don’t know in today’s world. In so many ways I admire that lifestyle and the beauty of cherishing daily moments with a little extra sparkle! But I do have one confession – I don’t like their movies.
It’s true! When there are special showings of Casablanca or holiday features of It’s A Wonderful Life it is Danny who gets all excited. He begs me to try and enjoy a black and white movie with him. Get caught up in the romance and whimsy…. me? I am caught up alright – in not knowing who is who cause in old grayed out films they all look the same to me! Sure, I have memorized the important lines and come to appreciate the beautiful lessons- but enjoy these movies…. that would be a stretch. I am there for Danny.
However, as we also celebrate 9 years of marriage this week, I have been open to making an effort. Watching a few more oldies and seeing if I can develop a taste for them. Recently Danny had me watch Rear Window. A film from 1954, it is not black and white but definitely has the other qualities of a classic movie: simple, sweet, and with valuable message. Well I actually really enjoyed it! The story was engaging and again I found myself enjoying the look at life in the city during an era when folks dressed up for dinner and dating was so much more formal. Gathering for drinks was an occasion and hearing someone play the panio was a big form of entertainment. It was funny to see a “love story” where they didn’t talk about nausea about if they should be together or all the reasons someone does or does not prefer a relationship. Instead it was a few conversations and then just this spark. And of course with Alfred Hitchcock as the director there was the flair of mystery and fear that was not over done or drawn out, but just enough to keep you captivated. And probably my favorite part of all – it takes the idea that we are all just running around living our own lives amongst each other, but what would happen if someone stopped to take it all in?
Yes, I had to hand it to Danny I really enjoyed this one and did not wish we were watching one of my rom-coms or something with more action. The idea of Classics as part of my entertainment genre is typically not top of mind – but what if it should be? There are so many wonderful books and films that I have never considered as I reach for the new and exciting. We all are always so eager for new releases or the next big thing, when maybe the thing to really excite us would be to look behind us and check out what others have deemed wonderful from years ago. And that is exactly what I will be doing as I think of my grandfather this week. A classic who lived through some pretty incredible experiences and always valued the lessons that history can teach us. We love you Pop-pop and maybe you didn’t just instill a facilitation of history in my, but also a way to appreciate its arts after all!
Thank you so much for reading and remember to make it a great day!
Jackie
Have A Little Faith in We 