Tuesday, August 26, 2008

Memories fade

Maybe they don't fade, I just don't seem to remember things the way they really were. Maybe it's true, you just can't go home again. I guess, it's possible, my tastes have changed.

Let's start with movies. I remember watching 'West Side Story' and being glued to the screen. I got excited with Maria when she was getting ready for her date. My heart was broken when Bernardo & Tony died. Oh the characters...Diesel, Baby John, Anita. Man Anita was a spitfire! I loved to hear her say 'Bernardo'. Those r's just rolled off her tongue! I just had to buy the movie so I'd have it for all eternity. I watched it again a few weeks ago. God what was I thinking when I first saw it? OK, I guess I was probably about 13 years old and was caught up in the romance. But it's so hokey now. I mean really...dancing gang members? Officer Krupke wouldn't listen to punks say 'cracko jacko' or 'daddy O' today. I think maybe that's a shame. I wish I'd not watched the movie again as the memory is now ruined. I know that's a shame.

At one time I thought I would become an English teacher. Literature if you please. I loved poetry, and Shakespeare rocked my world. The Bard and I still have an ongoing affair, but some of the poets I thought were wonderful when I was a teenager, well they just plain suck. I know I liked Poe. Hello? Poe? I just read 'The Raven' again tonight. Oh my God it might as well have been titled 'I'm Whacked out on Drugs'. When will I read Poe again? "Quoth the raven, nevermore."

When I was growing up I read all the Trixie Belden books and all the Hardy Boys books also. I hung on every word that Laura Ingalls Wilder wrote. The Bobbsey Twins were close personal friends of mine. I loved Clifford the big red dog and Mrs. Piggle Wiggle. She was magic you know! I have such fond memories of all those books and characters. I think I shan't read them again. I'll just remember them fondly.

2 comments:

Daphne said...

I don't know about the others - it's been years since I read the Bobbsey Twins - but I think you're safe with Laura Ingalls Wilder. I've loved her books ever since I learned to read and still think they're fantastic. As for West Side Story - - er - - I've never seen it!

Debby said...

West Side Story was the 1960's version of Romeo & Juliet. Not a happy ending for sure! Instead of the Montagues and the Capulets, we've got the Sharks & the Jets, street gangs! You didn't miss a thing!

I have the whole set of LIW's books for my grandchildren. I loved them. I felt like I was part of the family when I read them.