I Wish I Was in the Land of Cotton

Usually in July we go to my college alumni barbecue and sit in the park for Shakespeare. This year Shakespeare didn't get rave reviews and I had a busy work week and didn't want to leave town, so we stayed in Lincoln. I offered a make up date when I got the postcard from the University for a Southern Barbecue and a showing of "Gone With the Wind." We stuffed ourselves on okra, sweet potatoes, fried green tomatoes, fried chicken, corn muffins, lemon bars and sweet tea.

Then we sat in the front row for four and a half hours.

Anna's "Gone With the Wind" observations:

"This made me feel sorry for the South."

"I love her dress!" (heard multiple times)

"When is she going to figure out that she loves Rhett?"

"Do you think that they ever got back together?"

I was a blubbering mess. The scene that always gets me is the railroad station scene. Scarlett is having a very personal crisis - her friend Melanie is in labor and she wants to have the doctor come - and there's a much bigger crisis going on. Specifically, and it really does matter, is that it is the Civil War. The wagons and trains come and just dump the bodies in the streets in Atlanta because there is no more room in the hospital. The camera is tight on Scarlett as she arrives at the station. She begins to walk between the bodies and call for the doctor. The camera widens slowly and you take in the seriousness of the day. There are bodies everywhere and soon the screen is full and wide full of soldiers laying in the street. The doctor is walking around in the street taking care of men as well as he can under the circumstances and he can't leave to take care of Melanie.

We are at war right now but the bodies are not piled in the street in Atlanta or New York or Omaha. We are removed from the reality of war. We are not going without clothes or food or shelter.

I sat in the front row crying about war and Anna linked her arm through mine and leaned on my shoulder.

"You should just worry about it tomorrow," she suggested.