Five Minute Friday: In Real Life…

I swear there’s a hole in the week!  These Friday encounters seem to be coming round in ever faster cycles and I can barely stay afloat. This has been a strange week of writing – not really wanting to do much of it. Maybe because I goofed with the writing retreat I’m terrified/excited to be attending in a couple of weeks and didn’t figure out how to sign up for a workshop. So…now I have an ‘assignment’ in a workshop that is more terrifying than any of the others!!!  I’ve spent some time trying to rough out what I might submit. Therefore, the blog has gotten short shrift. I will try to dig back in soon – I promise.

In the meantime, I will do my best to cooperate with Lisa-Jo’s weekly invitation to just write it out, without worrying whether it’s right or not. The theme this week? “In real life…” You just might find out a few things you’ll wish you hadn’t. Who knows?? 

 

GO:

In real life, I’m a sucker for a happy ending. In fact, I might just have to admit that I’m a bit of a romance-aholic. I adore anything Jane Austen, including “Becoming Jane,” which many critics panned. The original BBC 5-hours+ “Pride and Prejudice?” Don’t even get me started. I cannot tell you how many times I have watched that one. 

But then, I adore the newer versions of these things as well. In fact, I may one day have to blog about the spirit-raising power of a well-told/acted/filmed romance. In the midst of the deepest personal anguish I’ve about ever walked through, my drug of choice? Yes. Jane Austen movies – over and over, fast forwarding to the good parts. Sighing and crying and thanking God for beautiful writing, beautiful acting, beautiful cinematography. 

I mentioned this once to a colleague, many years my junior, who had lost her dad while she was in college. I felt sheepish admitting this pattern, but she just smiled a sad smile and said, “I distinctly remember coming home from the hospital during that last week, putting Sabrina into the DVD player and hitting ‘play’ at least 5 times. It was better than sleep and it brought a tiny measure of relief.” 

Don’t ask me why this is so, I just know it is. 

So while I’m admitting things here, I might as well add – ahem – that I think Tivo is one of the best inventions of the last 50 years. Yes I do, too. I can record the things I love and fast forward through all the gunk in between scenes.


And you might be very surprised by what I love.


However…the 5 minutes are now up.


STOP.

P.S. In addition to police procedurals (yes, I am addicted to reading detective fiction, too), there just might be a show with the initials SYTYCD on my Tivo list. Thankfully, it has a very short season.  :>) 

So if any of you lovely and loyal readers happen to be fans as well, here is a clip from the older BBC P & P – the lake scene.
Enjoy:

P.P.S. In reading this over, I find myself astounded to see that I have responded to a prompt about ‘real life’ with reflections about fiction! Just about as far from reality as you can get, eh? Hmmm…wonder what that says about me??



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Comments

  1. You are so cute and funny, too. I loved this post. Let’s plan a movie night, soon.

    Fondly,
    Glenda

  2. Ha! Too cute! I love Jane Austen too. Enjoy!

  3. Love, love, love Jane Austen, especially the BBC version. Did you know there is a novel series that stars Jane as detective? It is very well done. It is Being a Jane Austen mystery by Stephanie Barron. For me it combines Jane with my mystery loving side!

  4. You should talk to my family about borrowing some BBC movies you haven’t seen yet. My new favorites of the summer are Downton Abbey and Little Dorrit. Maybe not as light as Jane Austen but still awesome!

  5. I wouldn’t consider myself a romantic, but Jane Austen is a different story. Honestly, I haven’t read enough by her, and since I’ve really started reading again, I think it’s time for a revisit!

  6. Greatest movie scene ever!