Monday, October 22, 2007

An Admirable Woman

For over two months I have had "The Prizewinner of Defiance, Ohio" to watch. I believe that to fully appreciate some movies and books, you must be ready for them. Not to say that "The Prizewinner of Defiance, Ohio" is a hard movie to watch, in fact it's tone is fun and spunky even when dealing with harsh realities because Evelyn Ryan, the woman Julianne Moore (one of my favorite current actresses) portrays in the film, was like that. What I mean is that I tried watching this film nearly a year ago at a friend's house and it did not work out (cable problems) and I have a feeling I was meant to wait to see the film when I was more receptive of just what an amazing woman Evelyn Ryan was.

I should mention I had heard an interview with Terry "Tuff" Ryan, the daughter of Evelyn Ryan who wrote the memoir, The Prizewinner of Definance, Ohio: How My Mother Raised 10 Kids on 25 Words or Less on The Diane Rehm Show years before (probably around 2001 when the memoir was released. Sadly, Terry Ryan died of cancer earlier this year) and was struck by how remarkable Evelyn Ryan seemed. I think Julianne Moore described what was so admirable about Evelyn Ryan best in her commentary of the film (I am paraphrasing at the moment): She refused to be defeated by the shortcomings in her life--she dealt with her life with strength, resolve and an amazing positive mood and lived without bitterness or regrets. She was someone who appreciated what she had rather than dwell on what she did not. She also defused others' anger with laughter and did not allow it to faze her. Additionally, she was clever, resourceful and bursting with life and love. I plan on finding the memoir and reading it in between all the other things I read (starting Love in the Time of Cholera, various magazines & cookbooks and about 12 step programs to name a few things--do you ever feel like you are bursting with all you could do and wish to do?).

I have no idea how Evelyn Ryan remained so unruffled by the negative in her life (including an alcoholic husband that drank much of his earnings), but maybe the memoir will help me to find out and emulate such an attitude. I realize that I waste too much energy on anger, which only perpetuates the worst, rather than best in others and me. I want to cultivate laughter, growth, creativity, friendship, connection, warmth and understanding....

1 comment:

joshua said...

Dear Friend

It's nice for me to have found this blog of yours. I read and saw what I could, my time is short.
I sure hope and wish that you take courage enough to pay me a visit in my PALAVROSSAVRVS REX!, and plus get some surprise with my work there. My blog is so cool! Don't think for a minute that my invitation is spam and I'm a spammer.
I often come across with so good but lonely blogs in my friendly random search,
my search for a public that may like or love what I POETRY write and also CHRONICLE,
among other types of Artistic Texts: we all search HAPINESS and JOY, don't we?
Well I'm realy happy to have found YOU.

I've learned and seen a lot after much more than 10.000 blogs I've visted in the late three months.
And I will, like Titanic's Kate, keep on and on and on and, like the song, feel that I 'Still haven't found what I'm looking for'.

When you come and visit me feel free to comment as you wish and, TOGETHER, let's make blogguing universal,
realy universal, as well all the essential causes that bring us all together by visiting, helping and loving one another this GENTLE way.

Let me tell you that some I visit feel invaded and ofended that I present myself this way in their blogs
and rudely insult me back or post a mockery post on me.
Some think I'm playing the smart guy who wants to profit in some way from (and with) others curiosity and benevolence.
Some simply ignore me.
Some aknowledge that It's most important we all take notion that there's milions of us bloguing arownd the world
and thus vital any kind of awareness of eachother such as I believe
this my self-introduction card and insert apeal brings in.

May you be one of those open and friendly spirits.

Don't feel obliged to come and visit me.
An invitation is not an intimation.

I think that in the end it's to UNITE MANKIND that we became bloggers!
When in my blogg don't see language as an obstacle but as a challenge
(though you can use the translater BabelFish at the bottom of my page!)
and think for a minute if I and the rest of the world are not expecting something like a broad cumplicity that you're a part of.
Remenber that pictures talk also and I have de most delicious ones.

I Hope this message of mine had helped you in some way.

See you soon, MY FRIEND.
May the LORD bless our HEARTS and fill them with PEACE AND MOTIVATION
to endure our Lives the best way we can.

A FRIEND

joshua