Writings by Diane

A few nights ago, I caught the last hour of an HBO documentary Six by Sondheim .  Unfortunately since I was late, I only got to see half of the show—3 of the 6 by Sondheim if you will.  As I watched this documentary about this very talented man, I was reminded of when I first saw one of his musicals.  Years ago, I was flipping channels in the television and happen to stumble upon A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum.  I liked the title, it was unusually long. The opening song’s lyrics had such promise and grandeur as the star Zero Mostel sang in a baritone voice “Tragedy tomorrow, comedy tonight !!” I watched the comical misadventures of Pseudolus, enjoying the clever songs, such as “ Everybody Ought to Have a Maid .” I was about to write off that this was a just a silly, bawdy musical comedy, with only interest in tickling my funny bone. Then,  a duet with Michael Crawford (Hero) and Annette Andre (Philia) singing a beautiful song called “ Lovely...

When I first saw the movie, It’s a Wonderful Life , like everyone else, I was touched by the story’s moral was everyone has a purpose in life. If one person in your life was missing, it would make a huge impact on the future. However, that’s not the only lesson I learned after watching this movie.   As we know, George Bailey is the main character. James Stewart played the part well—he was very human and we empathized with him on his ups and downs of life.  However, there is another character that I found to be as good a role model if not better than George’s Everyman . This was his wife Mary Bailey played by Donna Reed with quiet dignity and presence.  I searched the internet and found I wasn't the only one that appreciates Mary Bailey . From the beginning, Mary was a plucky (hey, that’s a word you don’t hear every day!), determined and resourceful person. She became the main component on transforming a rundown house into their cozy family home.  She was th...

I do so love reading articles that conjure up memories! I recently read an article in O Magazine July 2011 (I’m a little bit behind!)  called The Cure for a Compulsive Helper by Diana Spechler.  The article was the author’s account of 30 days of mindful helping. She shared that there were times in her life when she thought she was being helpful, but since it was unsolicited, her help became almost to the point of meddling.   I got to thinking of an incident in my life and how I identified with Ms Spechler’s well-meaning nature. A few years ago, a manager that worked with my husband lamented that she didn't have many professional clothes. The owner was promoting her to another apartment complex that was larger and she wanted to look the part. She was petite like me, so my husband suggested that I help out. I had been working at an office for a while and had collected many business separates. I went through my closet and picked out a couple of my professional ca...