Recently, and especially this past weekend, I've been struggling with the feeling that I'm not really making an impact. At work, in the community, in our family, in the world, etc. etc. I'm still only working part-time (therefore not doing such a great job at providing for us), I don't feel like I'm doing what I'm called to do (although if you asked me what that is, I couldn't tell you), and I'm still reeling from the extremely negative comments about me in the spring student survey.
When I received a wonderful (and timely!) e-mail last night from a student thanking me for the difference I'd made in her life this past year, it helped relieve some of these feelings and made me realize what an impact a simple compliment can make in our lives. This echoes several conversations Brian and I have had over the past year, initiated by both of us at different times, asking the other to provide more positive feedback for the work (school, job, housework, etc.) that each of us does. I've learned to say "I'm proud of you" and "You're doing a wonderful job" more, and Brian has learned to say "I appreciate you doing the laundry/cooking/cleaning/working to bring in the income" more (he even brought me flowers last week--they're sitting on the table still and I feel happy every time I look at them). The student's e-mail inspired me to send my own complimentary e-mail to our Director of Student Life, telling her what a great job she did with freshman orientation this past weekend--it was something I was already thinking but hadn't thought to put into words. Hopefully it makes her feel a bit better.
This all comes on the back of something else I've been struggling with (I know, there's more?!), which is that I'm easily dragged down into negativity, complaining, and gossip (lots of time I don't need any help, either). I've said some very negative things about specific people lately and don't doubt I've hurt them; I wasn't thinking about the potential impact of my words and was speaking out of my own feeling of low self-worth more than anything. Yesterday at Mass, the priest said in his homily, "It's good for us to be humiliated, within ourselves. It teaches us that we're flawed beings who don't even live up to our own expectations. This realization can inspire us to take stock, examine our consciences, and make an effort to do better. It makes us humble".
I couldn't agree more--this very thing is just what I needed to take the steps to escape the negativity and in-fighting that can go on so often in workplaces, especially large ones. There is no excuse for speaking ill of others, and really no way to justify it. I hope I can be more positive in the coming weeks, and maybe inspire someone else to do the same. You never realize the impact you can have upon someone.
Monday, August 29, 2011
Monday, August 22, 2011
What are YOU reading?
A friend posted this article on Facebook, which got me thinking--what do our reading choices say about us?
I have to admit Michelle Bachman's statement that “When I go on vacation and I lay on the beach, I bring Von Mises” sounds kind of ridiculous. Really? Economics books on the beach? Either she's lying, or she has no life outside of politics. Either way, it makes me think less of her, I have to admit. My own husband never reads fiction and would actually bring some heavy theological book to the beach, but her statement sounds like it's meant to impress, not to reflect reality.
And Mitt Romney--Twilight? Really? Is it just me, or is it creepy that a middle-aged man is reading books written for teenage girls?
At least Ron Paul and Newt Gingrich admit to reading a range of things, including fiction (even if it is Ayn Rand, not exactly light reading).
So what do my reading choices say about me?
My last 10 books:
--Royal Flush (Rhys Bowen)
--He Shall Thunder in the Sky (Elizabeth Peters)
--Something Borrowed (Emily Giffin)
--The Face of a Stranger (Anne Perry)
--The Courtiers: Splendor and Intrique in Kensington Palace (Lucy Worley)
--Sarah's Key (Tatiana de Rosnay)
--The Hunger Games (Suzanne Collins)
--When We Were Orphans (Kazuo Ishiguro)
--Wait for me! Memoirs (Deborah Mitford)
--The Saturday Big Tent Wedding Party (Alexander McCall Smith)
Soo...basically they say that I am easily distracted by recent bestsellers and mysteries, but do try to squeeze in some non-fiction occasionally. I have actually checked out a number of nonfiction books and more "serious" books recently..but sometimes (ok, most of the time) I want an easy, relaxing read after work.
Guess I should never go into politics, then.
I have to admit Michelle Bachman's statement that “When I go on vacation and I lay on the beach, I bring Von Mises” sounds kind of ridiculous. Really? Economics books on the beach? Either she's lying, or she has no life outside of politics. Either way, it makes me think less of her, I have to admit. My own husband never reads fiction and would actually bring some heavy theological book to the beach, but her statement sounds like it's meant to impress, not to reflect reality.
And Mitt Romney--Twilight? Really? Is it just me, or is it creepy that a middle-aged man is reading books written for teenage girls?
At least Ron Paul and Newt Gingrich admit to reading a range of things, including fiction (even if it is Ayn Rand, not exactly light reading).
So what do my reading choices say about me?
My last 10 books:
--Royal Flush (Rhys Bowen)
--He Shall Thunder in the Sky (Elizabeth Peters)
--Something Borrowed (Emily Giffin)
--The Face of a Stranger (Anne Perry)
--The Courtiers: Splendor and Intrique in Kensington Palace (Lucy Worley)
--Sarah's Key (Tatiana de Rosnay)
--The Hunger Games (Suzanne Collins)
--When We Were Orphans (Kazuo Ishiguro)
--Wait for me! Memoirs (Deborah Mitford)
--The Saturday Big Tent Wedding Party (Alexander McCall Smith)
Soo...basically they say that I am easily distracted by recent bestsellers and mysteries, but do try to squeeze in some non-fiction occasionally. I have actually checked out a number of nonfiction books and more "serious" books recently..but sometimes (ok, most of the time) I want an easy, relaxing read after work.
Guess I should never go into politics, then.
Monday, August 8, 2011
Back to reality
After three weeks away from the office (one at the UN in NYC with some students I was chaperoning, and 2 on vacation at home), it's back to reality today. After a 16-hour drive Saturday (I was literally delirious by the time we got back--I kept thinking I was still driving as I was trying to fall asleep and was going to drive off the road and kill us) and a cleaning frenzy on Sunday I was back in my office today catching up on e-mails and the like.
I was definitely sad to leave NC--I had forgotten how much I truly loved Raleigh (even more so than Chapel Hill...don't tell my alma mater)and I miss being able to see my family more often. But, we're on the downswing here in Florida--Brian graduates in May and we'll be moving next summer, either to where he's accepted into a doctoral program or back to Raleigh in the hopes of a job with the Diocese. We're trying to get out and see more things in Florida (we're currently planning an expedition to the Kennedy Space Center, mostly because Brian wants to go to the Star Trek Exhibition currently on display), and I'd like to make it to the Keys, which aren't too far from us, either.
Brian's back to school in 3 weeks (I can't believe it's so soon!)and before I know it, he'll be graduating with his Master's (I CANNOT WAIT). Then...who knows?
I was definitely sad to leave NC--I had forgotten how much I truly loved Raleigh (even more so than Chapel Hill...don't tell my alma mater)and I miss being able to see my family more often. But, we're on the downswing here in Florida--Brian graduates in May and we'll be moving next summer, either to where he's accepted into a doctoral program or back to Raleigh in the hopes of a job with the Diocese. We're trying to get out and see more things in Florida (we're currently planning an expedition to the Kennedy Space Center, mostly because Brian wants to go to the Star Trek Exhibition currently on display), and I'd like to make it to the Keys, which aren't too far from us, either.
Brian's back to school in 3 weeks (I can't believe it's so soon!)and before I know it, he'll be graduating with his Master's (I CANNOT WAIT). Then...who knows?
Monday, July 18, 2011
The Sarah Alphabet
This idea is copied from Little Stories, the blog of my fellow Carolina alum and book enthusiast Abby. I thought it was a great way to think through my biggest life issue right now: Who am I, and where am I going?
Ambition: To be happily married for the rest of my life, and to be well-respected by whatever community we settle in (preferably a small, safe suburb near a bigger city). This, ultimately, is more important to me than career aspirations, but if I had to think about those, I first and foremost want to be able to say I made a difference, however that comes about (and if it involves books, art, people with disabilities, cats, or anything English, so much the better).
Bad habit: Being very rigid in my opinions and schedule. Also, being very negative.
City: London. I've spent a combined total of about 4 weeks there, and I loved it. Easy to navigate, relatively safe (at least it seemed that way to me--don't tell me otherwise) and full of excellent museums (including my favorite, the National Portrait Gallery) and parks (also including my favorite, St. James' Park, near Trafalgar Square).
Drink: Mostly water (I recently heard this helps stave off wrinkles, which is excellent news because I'm already starting to get crow's feet), but I also like milk (for breakfast) or tea.
Education: B.A. in English and Women's Studies, UNC 2008 (Magna Cum Laude), MSW in Nonprofit Management, UNC 2010. I'm currently daydreaming about the possibility of a Ph.D. in healthcare ethics or a second master's in theology and bioethics, but I don't think it will come to anything as Brian will be in school for many years to come. I am auditing a medical ethics class in the fall though--I figured I'd better take advantage of working at a university while I can.
Food: Anything "ethnic"--Indian, Thai, Persian. My favorite is aloo channa masala--curried chickpeas. SO GOOD.
Guilty pleasures: TV and chick lit. I recently found a coworker who also enjoys chick lit and we've started to trade books. I always feel like I should be reading the classics, but sometimes I just want an easy reads with a happy ending. I'm also addicted to WAY too many TV shows.
Hometown: New Bern, NC: Birthplace of Pepsi and Colonial Capital of NC.
Ice cream: This changes based on how I'm feeling, but I've always really enjoyed mint chocolate chip and chocolate chip cookie dough. My favorite ice cream stores are Maple View Farms in Chapel Hill/Hillsborough (homemade on the farm and DELICIOUS) and the Cow Cafe in New Bern (made at the Maola plant in town).
Jonesing for: Chocolate. Constantly.
Kryptonite: Any kind of baby animal (even things like raccoons and possums, which i do not like AT ALL when they are full grown).
Lookalike: Hm. Not sure--when I was younger I always wanted to look like Belle from Beauty and the Beast, and I think I do to some extent (although without the abnormally large eyes). My real lookalike would probably be my grandmother--I saw a picture of her at my age and it essentially could have been me with a 40s hairstyle.
Movie: I have several favorite movies, but my most recent favorite is The King's Speech. British history (and royalty), great classical music as a soundtrack, and 2 of my favorite British actors (Helena Bonham-Carter and Colin Firth) are a fabulous combination, plus the addition of a touching family story AND the lack of any awkward sex scenes and almost all profanity makes it a perfect movie.
Nicknames: My childhood nickname was Honeybee (due to the stuffed honeybee I treated as a baby doll, feeding it bottles). Brian calls me Sarita sometimes, but generally I don't have a nickname as an adult.
Obsession: Reading (and finding new books to read). England and English history. Museums. Chocolate and baking things using chocolate.
Perfume: Alas, because strong smells give me migraines, I can't wear perfumes (or, usually, scented lotions). If I could though, I love things that smell like vanilla--I once read a book where the main character, a chef, dabbed actual vanilla behind her ears as a perfume, which sounded like a good idea to me.
Quirk: Too many to name? I think my favorite one, though, is that my eyes change color--based on what I'm wearing but also based on how I'm feeling. Green for sad, blue for angry (so Brian tells me!), gray/green for serious, light brown for happy.
Regrets: Not joining more groups and making more friends in college. Sometimes I also regret my choice of graduate degree and think I should have gone for Library Science, since I love books so much.
Starbucks: Only when desperate for caffeine, and it is absolutely the only thing available (which only happens about once every 2 or 3 years).
Talent: Baking. If anybody ever needs to gain weight, send them straight to me--the number of fattening desserts I can bake grows by the minute (I just made my first carrot cake yesterday, and it will not be my last).
University: UNC-Chapel Hill (although I grew up being taught to cheer for University of South Carolina, since it's where my dad/grandpa went).
Vacation: Due to the fact that we only get to see our families once every 6-8 months, all our vacations are spent at home or visiting college friends. Plus, we're broke. But one day, when we have money and time for vacations, there are so many places I'd like to visit I can't even name them all (the rest of England and Austria being two of my top).
Wine: I rarely drink wine except at social situations where it's offered, but when I do I prefer the pink, fruity variety.
X: X to doubting myself.
Years: 26
Zen: I think "zen" is a silly notion...but I suppose my idea of zen would be curled up in a comfy armchair with a blanket, a book, and a good cup of tea when it's raining and/or snowing outside.
Ambition: To be happily married for the rest of my life, and to be well-respected by whatever community we settle in (preferably a small, safe suburb near a bigger city). This, ultimately, is more important to me than career aspirations, but if I had to think about those, I first and foremost want to be able to say I made a difference, however that comes about (and if it involves books, art, people with disabilities, cats, or anything English, so much the better).
Bad habit: Being very rigid in my opinions and schedule. Also, being very negative.
City: London. I've spent a combined total of about 4 weeks there, and I loved it. Easy to navigate, relatively safe (at least it seemed that way to me--don't tell me otherwise) and full of excellent museums (including my favorite, the National Portrait Gallery) and parks (also including my favorite, St. James' Park, near Trafalgar Square).
Drink: Mostly water (I recently heard this helps stave off wrinkles, which is excellent news because I'm already starting to get crow's feet), but I also like milk (for breakfast) or tea.
Education: B.A. in English and Women's Studies, UNC 2008 (Magna Cum Laude), MSW in Nonprofit Management, UNC 2010. I'm currently daydreaming about the possibility of a Ph.D. in healthcare ethics or a second master's in theology and bioethics, but I don't think it will come to anything as Brian will be in school for many years to come. I am auditing a medical ethics class in the fall though--I figured I'd better take advantage of working at a university while I can.
Food: Anything "ethnic"--Indian, Thai, Persian. My favorite is aloo channa masala--curried chickpeas. SO GOOD.
Guilty pleasures: TV and chick lit. I recently found a coworker who also enjoys chick lit and we've started to trade books. I always feel like I should be reading the classics, but sometimes I just want an easy reads with a happy ending. I'm also addicted to WAY too many TV shows.
Hometown: New Bern, NC: Birthplace of Pepsi and Colonial Capital of NC.
Ice cream: This changes based on how I'm feeling, but I've always really enjoyed mint chocolate chip and chocolate chip cookie dough. My favorite ice cream stores are Maple View Farms in Chapel Hill/Hillsborough (homemade on the farm and DELICIOUS) and the Cow Cafe in New Bern (made at the Maola plant in town).
Jonesing for: Chocolate. Constantly.
Kryptonite: Any kind of baby animal (even things like raccoons and possums, which i do not like AT ALL when they are full grown).
Lookalike: Hm. Not sure--when I was younger I always wanted to look like Belle from Beauty and the Beast, and I think I do to some extent (although without the abnormally large eyes). My real lookalike would probably be my grandmother--I saw a picture of her at my age and it essentially could have been me with a 40s hairstyle.
Movie: I have several favorite movies, but my most recent favorite is The King's Speech. British history (and royalty), great classical music as a soundtrack, and 2 of my favorite British actors (Helena Bonham-Carter and Colin Firth) are a fabulous combination, plus the addition of a touching family story AND the lack of any awkward sex scenes and almost all profanity makes it a perfect movie.
Nicknames: My childhood nickname was Honeybee (due to the stuffed honeybee I treated as a baby doll, feeding it bottles). Brian calls me Sarita sometimes, but generally I don't have a nickname as an adult.
Obsession: Reading (and finding new books to read). England and English history. Museums. Chocolate and baking things using chocolate.
Perfume: Alas, because strong smells give me migraines, I can't wear perfumes (or, usually, scented lotions). If I could though, I love things that smell like vanilla--I once read a book where the main character, a chef, dabbed actual vanilla behind her ears as a perfume, which sounded like a good idea to me.
Quirk: Too many to name? I think my favorite one, though, is that my eyes change color--based on what I'm wearing but also based on how I'm feeling. Green for sad, blue for angry (so Brian tells me!), gray/green for serious, light brown for happy.
Regrets: Not joining more groups and making more friends in college. Sometimes I also regret my choice of graduate degree and think I should have gone for Library Science, since I love books so much.
Starbucks: Only when desperate for caffeine, and it is absolutely the only thing available (which only happens about once every 2 or 3 years).
Talent: Baking. If anybody ever needs to gain weight, send them straight to me--the number of fattening desserts I can bake grows by the minute (I just made my first carrot cake yesterday, and it will not be my last).
University: UNC-Chapel Hill (although I grew up being taught to cheer for University of South Carolina, since it's where my dad/grandpa went).
Vacation: Due to the fact that we only get to see our families once every 6-8 months, all our vacations are spent at home or visiting college friends. Plus, we're broke. But one day, when we have money and time for vacations, there are so many places I'd like to visit I can't even name them all (the rest of England and Austria being two of my top).
Wine: I rarely drink wine except at social situations where it's offered, but when I do I prefer the pink, fruity variety.
X: X to doubting myself.
Years: 26
Zen: I think "zen" is a silly notion...but I suppose my idea of zen would be curled up in a comfy armchair with a blanket, a book, and a good cup of tea when it's raining and/or snowing outside.
Monday, July 4, 2011
The Life of an Introvert
This 4th of July has gotten me pondering the many challenges being an introvert presents, the 4th, of course, being a holiday that most people celebrate by going to crowded cookouts.
Recently, we had a cookout for some staff members who are leaving, and my supervisor said I couldn't count the 4+ hours I spent there, plus the 2 hour commute, as work hours on my timesheet. Which of course makes sense from a logical standpoint, but for me, that WAS work! Working in the office all day and then going to my boss's house with all the people I work with, most of whom I never see in social situations, and getting home at midnight was HARD. Being in groups of people for any length of time absolutely exhausts me, even if they're all people I know well and enjoy hanging out with. I enjoy working on teams and in groups, but I need a certain amount of time each day to process things and be by myself.
There are 2 cookouts going on, one at the neighbor's and one at the waterpark in town (yes, we don't have a post office, but we have a waterpark), and as Brian enjoys grilled food he wanted to go, but as we spent all of Saturday with 2 of his uncles and his aunt, the prospect of spending an unspecified amount of time with people I don't know well or don't know at all is not one I look forward to (thankfully, it's raining, so that solves that).
The fact that we're the only couple left in the neighborhood without children makes things even more draining, as it means that at every gathering I have to endure "Are you pregnant? When are you thinking of having kids?" etc. etc. As to the first question, the obvious answer is no (and I regret to say that I've started to snap "No, I'm infertile!"), but as to the second (which is often followed by "Well, aren't you going to adopt?"), I don't have an answer. Neither Brian nor myself feel any great urging to have children at this point, and we want to wait until he finishes his Master's and we settle wherever we'll be next in any event. Plus, although the tons of children in our neighborhood are cute and, for the most part, very well-behaved, being at parties where I have to contend not only with them but also their parents wears me out twice as fast.
So what's the solution for an introvert who hates phone calls, dreads parties, and has no good answer to the children question? Well, at today at least, it's staying home and watching Star Wars with my husband while eating homemade baked goods.
Recently, we had a cookout for some staff members who are leaving, and my supervisor said I couldn't count the 4+ hours I spent there, plus the 2 hour commute, as work hours on my timesheet. Which of course makes sense from a logical standpoint, but for me, that WAS work! Working in the office all day and then going to my boss's house with all the people I work with, most of whom I never see in social situations, and getting home at midnight was HARD. Being in groups of people for any length of time absolutely exhausts me, even if they're all people I know well and enjoy hanging out with. I enjoy working on teams and in groups, but I need a certain amount of time each day to process things and be by myself.
There are 2 cookouts going on, one at the neighbor's and one at the waterpark in town (yes, we don't have a post office, but we have a waterpark), and as Brian enjoys grilled food he wanted to go, but as we spent all of Saturday with 2 of his uncles and his aunt, the prospect of spending an unspecified amount of time with people I don't know well or don't know at all is not one I look forward to (thankfully, it's raining, so that solves that).
The fact that we're the only couple left in the neighborhood without children makes things even more draining, as it means that at every gathering I have to endure "Are you pregnant? When are you thinking of having kids?" etc. etc. As to the first question, the obvious answer is no (and I regret to say that I've started to snap "No, I'm infertile!"), but as to the second (which is often followed by "Well, aren't you going to adopt?"), I don't have an answer. Neither Brian nor myself feel any great urging to have children at this point, and we want to wait until he finishes his Master's and we settle wherever we'll be next in any event. Plus, although the tons of children in our neighborhood are cute and, for the most part, very well-behaved, being at parties where I have to contend not only with them but also their parents wears me out twice as fast.
So what's the solution for an introvert who hates phone calls, dreads parties, and has no good answer to the children question? Well, at today at least, it's staying home and watching Star Wars with my husband while eating homemade baked goods.
Monday, June 27, 2011
Bittersweet birthday
I realize my birthday was a little over a month ago, but it hit me this weekend how different 26 is from 25 in a number of ways.
First off, I'm officially uninsured. The recent healthcare bill made it possible to stay on my dad's insurance for another year, even though I'm married and no longer a student. But 26 is the absolute limit, and when I went to refill my prescription on Friday, hearing the pharmacist saying "your insurance is expired" really brought it home.
Plus I had to go out and buy a file cabinet for all the various adulty paperwork I have--car title, marriage license, bank statements, car insurance, loan paperwork, etc.,
When the heck did I become an adult? An uninsured adult with tons of paperwork and only a part-time job?
I hope by my 27th we know where we're moving next, and I have at least the prospects of a full time job wherever that might be. As more and more of my friends start having kids, I also wonder when we should start thinking about that...but then I get too freaked out and stop. One thing at a time, one thing at a time...
First off, I'm officially uninsured. The recent healthcare bill made it possible to stay on my dad's insurance for another year, even though I'm married and no longer a student. But 26 is the absolute limit, and when I went to refill my prescription on Friday, hearing the pharmacist saying "your insurance is expired" really brought it home.
Plus I had to go out and buy a file cabinet for all the various adulty paperwork I have--car title, marriage license, bank statements, car insurance, loan paperwork, etc.,
When the heck did I become an adult? An uninsured adult with tons of paperwork and only a part-time job?
I hope by my 27th we know where we're moving next, and I have at least the prospects of a full time job wherever that might be. As more and more of my friends start having kids, I also wonder when we should start thinking about that...but then I get too freaked out and stop. One thing at a time, one thing at a time...
Wednesday, June 22, 2011
The English can really hold a grudge
Recently, I've moved away slightly from my favorite topic of Victorian social culture and have started reading nonfiction books and watching movies set in early 20th century England. Hey, I said slightly.
What I've really started to realize is that the English can REALLY hold a grudge. I'm talking here mostly about the entire country's hatred of Wallis Simpson, who caused Edward VIII to abdicate in 1937.(See what I mean in this article from the British Independent: http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/this-britain/the-return-of-wallis-simpson-2219771.html Even the woman writing a book on her can't like her).
Wallis Simpson first made it onto my anglophile radar during a visit to the National Portrait Museum, my favorite museum ever and a place I visited multiple times when studying abroad in London. There's a tiny room (or there was, in 2006) with sketches and small portraits of the current royal family. There was a single picture of Wallis, with a brief note about her relationship to the Windsors. She continued to pop up during reading, but as I don't often venture into the 20th century, it wasn't often.
Then I saw The King's Speech in January, during which Wallis makes a brief appearance in person (played, of course, as an obnoxious, frivolous American) and a frequent appearance in the plot, as she was the main reason for Edward VIII's abdication, as mentioned, and a large part of the strife in the movie..
Then, the Upstairs, Downstairs remake appeared on PBS in April, again briefly featuring Wallis (the main "Upstairs" character was told she had to invite her to a party, even though she was nobody important). This time, Wallis appeared with von Ribbentrop (yes, the Nazi one) in tow, with the implication that Wallis was a Nazi sympathizer, and was sleeping with von Ribbentrop to boot.
Ouch.
Then, I started reading a book on the Curzon sisters (Irene, Cimmie, and Baba), who were intimates of Edward VIII. The author spends nearly 1/3 of the book talking badly about Wallis, her obnoxious character, how ugly she was, the incredible amount of money she spent, her unaccountable pull over the King/Duke (once he abdicated) and how badly she treated him, their servants, and basically everyone else.
These people REALLY dislike her.
I don't feel one way or the other about Wallis Simpson, but then I have to say I also am not a huge fan of anyone in the 20s and 30s who was upperclass and did nothing but spend money, Winston Churchill and the Queen Mum excepted.
But the English could really teach the Mafia something about disliking someone for generations.
What I've really started to realize is that the English can REALLY hold a grudge. I'm talking here mostly about the entire country's hatred of Wallis Simpson, who caused Edward VIII to abdicate in 1937.(See what I mean in this article from the British Independent: http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/this-britain/the-return-of-wallis-simpson-2219771.html Even the woman writing a book on her can't like her).
Wallis Simpson first made it onto my anglophile radar during a visit to the National Portrait Museum, my favorite museum ever and a place I visited multiple times when studying abroad in London. There's a tiny room (or there was, in 2006) with sketches and small portraits of the current royal family. There was a single picture of Wallis, with a brief note about her relationship to the Windsors. She continued to pop up during reading, but as I don't often venture into the 20th century, it wasn't often.
Then I saw The King's Speech in January, during which Wallis makes a brief appearance in person (played, of course, as an obnoxious, frivolous American) and a frequent appearance in the plot, as she was the main reason for Edward VIII's abdication, as mentioned, and a large part of the strife in the movie..
Then, the Upstairs, Downstairs remake appeared on PBS in April, again briefly featuring Wallis (the main "Upstairs" character was told she had to invite her to a party, even though she was nobody important). This time, Wallis appeared with von Ribbentrop (yes, the Nazi one) in tow, with the implication that Wallis was a Nazi sympathizer, and was sleeping with von Ribbentrop to boot.
Ouch.
Then, I started reading a book on the Curzon sisters (Irene, Cimmie, and Baba), who were intimates of Edward VIII. The author spends nearly 1/3 of the book talking badly about Wallis, her obnoxious character, how ugly she was, the incredible amount of money she spent, her unaccountable pull over the King/Duke (once he abdicated) and how badly she treated him, their servants, and basically everyone else.
These people REALLY dislike her.
I don't feel one way or the other about Wallis Simpson, but then I have to say I also am not a huge fan of anyone in the 20s and 30s who was upperclass and did nothing but spend money, Winston Churchill and the Queen Mum excepted.
But the English could really teach the Mafia something about disliking someone for generations.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)