SATC

"Was it everything you hoped for?" my friend, who I'm sure wouldn't want to be identified in this public forum, so I won't give her name, but her initials are Myrrh, asked sarcastically.

"Oh yes, and more," I said, through barely concealed tears.

It's true. It may have been the cosmos in between which we sandwiched the film, but tears were not lacking.

But it all started the night before, really. I was on the phone with Wendell (imagine! Wendell has a phone. Berry would not approve.). It actually started before this. I was on the phone with Whigwham (imagine! I've spoken with as many as 27 people in one day before). I suggested that he join Myrrh and I for SATC (see Myrrh, if I use initials, no one will know what movie we've seen). He said, "I'm not going to support them with my money, but I'll go if you buy my ticket." Now I realize that he was shamelessly asking me to take him on a date, but as this was such a significant event, I disregarded that. After a long pause (I'm not so rich; movies are expensive; but then again watching SATC with two of my dear friends was too much to pass up), I said, "Okay." He was surprised, to say the least, and a little caught (am I this stingy? or shall we call it thrifty?). But vaguely agreed to go. And followed that up with an email not only taking back his acceptance, but attempting to guilt trip me into not going. Thankfully, I've built up a strong immunity to guilt tripping over the years.

Anyway, then I was on the phone with Wendell, who asked me when I was leaving for The Land of Milk and Honey (from where I am happily typing this note while listening to the crickets and the stream flowing by; technically, the crickets aren't in the stream). And I answered, "Well, I was going to leave today, but I think I'll wait until tomorrow, because Myrrh really wants me to stay and go see SATC with her." Well, strictly speaking this was perfectly true, but Oh, the irony, if you know Myrrh and I. I, of course, am the one committed to this film; she anticipated not liking it very much at all (although in the end was very pleased and repeated over and over as we left the studio, "This film has such a good message; the film has such a good message." It must have been the cosmos.

The most delightful part of the whole evening (hands down!) was the fact that, much like the time that I decided that the apartment complex barbecue was the ideal place to meet men (they would live nearby, my primary qualification in a gentleman friend; there were, as Myrrh had anticipated, only older couples at the barbecue, which absolutely fits in retrospect, but hadn't occurred to me at the time), I got it into my head that we should dress up stylishly to go see SATC. What other way is there to see it? The things you need: many cosmos, cigarettes, hot shoes. Oh, we got this taken care of! Of course, for a Tuesday evening film, it is necessary to wear dresses and high heels, the highest we had. Myrrh pulled out at my prodding the polka-dotted platforms that I convinced her to wear, maintaining that her (green!) dress was a solid color and that all solid colors match other solid colors. I pulled out an old formal dress from the back of my closet, paired it with braided white heels and off we went.

Here I must emphasize it was a Tuesday night, and we were dressed to the nines. Not only was it the middle of the week, but it was also pouring rain and rather cold by the end of the evening. Both I and the wicked witch of the west melt in the rain, so Myrrh had to listen to my dying cries. Other people at the movie were in sweatpants. I'm fairly certain we were the only two in dresses.

But was it ever fabulous! Marriage affirming, can I say from the start. Forgiveness affirming. A lot of fun fashion. Lots of lovely female friendship. Loads of cliches. SHE WEARS A BIRD ON HER HEAD WITH HER WEDDING VALE, etc.