One of my all time favorite books is Gone with the Wind.I’m sentimental. I’m a (semi) rational romantic. I’m a sucker for tragedies. And the O’Hara plantation has it all.
Scarlett O’Hara is a great character. I love her complexity. She is straightforward (as her acid tongue proves). She has courage (could I have killed that Yankee soldier?). She is resourceful (dress made from green curtains anyone?). She is strong (not many of us would vow to survive off rotten carrots). And although she takes her qualities to the negative extreme and is a perfectly despicable character, I admire her.
Unfortunately those aren’t the traits of Scarlett’s I posses. No, instead I seem to almost live and breathe by this quote:
“I can't think about that right now. If I do, I'll go crazy. I'll think about that tomorrow.”
Thanks to Scarlett O’Hara I am a procrastinator of thought. I’ve found I get sick of hearing myself process the more dismal, embarrassing, or painful parts of my existence, and so, in a fairly recent development, I just don’t.
I put off until tomorrow too many things I should have thought about yesterday.
I’ve always thought of myself as choosing the type of man that would say, as Rhett did, “Here, take my handkerchief. Never, at any crisis of your life, have I known you to have a handkerchief.”
When really, that would never happen. I rarely cry in front of men and men don’t offer handkerchiefs anymore.
Which…I will think about tomorrow.
7 comments:
Oh gee, Ande, we have GOT to watch this show together again. Maybe, just maybe, with coaching from you I can learn not to detest Scarlett. After your post I do see some commonalities, "thinking about it tomorrow" being only one of them. I definitely see resourcefulness--don't you remember making capris when you were eight and a cast-off dress of Cali's into your skirt when you were nine...even threading the sewing machine by yourself because you thought I would stop you? Or how about living off peanut butter and banana sandwiches while selling plasma so you could go to Europe? Sounds pretty strong-willed to me. And courage? I've watched you stand off older siblings and not flinch an inch. But so help me, if you fall in love with a weasly Ashley Wilks, I'll . . . I'll . . . well, I don't know what I'll do, but I'll do something brave.
Ande,
I'd like to see you dressed in green curtains. Isn't it funny how some things are JUST TOO BIG to think about now. Then suddenly, one day, you find yourself ready to deal with them. I love that quote... but not as much as I love you.
Cali
Deep, that was.
Scarlet drove me nuts. Don't worry, you don't. You drive me nuts too, but in a different way. eh eh? hahahahaa. (I'm having a fun time)
You're not alone. Some (some? HA!) things are way to much for me to think about too. I wish I had deep advice. I don't. That's another thought entirely. . .
And actually I don't know how serious this post is, but if it's close to being serious. . .
Well whenever I have the big things I don't want to think about, and whether or not to date Bo was one of those, well I just hand those over to the Lord. Prayer works wonders.
Love ya chica!
I loooove the book (and movie). I definitely use the 'think about that tomorrow' philosophy. It just makes things well, easier. Only in the moment though, that part stinks.
I agree with your mom, NO Ashley Wilks. Ever.
Oh man, last night as I was in bed not sleeping because I was thinking about all the things I need to do that I don't know how I'm going to get done, I just kept thinking, "I need to not think about this now, I'll worry about it tomorrow."
Scarlet is a perfect representation of human nature.
Love the post!
In this case, the link to your site that I put on mine will also be removed.
Post a Comment