Words of wisdom, courtesy of Auntie Mame

I took a break from my Hitchcock binge last night, and watched Auntie Mame with Rosalind Russell from 1958. Now, there are a ton of quotes from the movie that are absolutely golden. Plus, her costumes and the set decoration are divinely campy. In one scene, she takes decorations from the Christmas tree and puts them in her hair. Yes! My kind of lady! Not to mention the silver lame sequined pantsuit. There are several scenes that make me laugh so hard that I get tears in my eyes. Plus, she has sofas that raise and lower on pulleys! Just what we all need!

The greatest quote from the movie, after "So, are we all lit?," is this one: "Live! Life's a banquet, and most poor suckers are starving to death! "

Now, there's a quote to base a life around. We all know people who refuse to live, refuse to see the joy in every single day, refuse to laugh at the absurdities that daily life constantly throws our way. Sure, we all have dark times, dark days. You can't be happy all the time. But you can feast at the banquet and live. If you're sure that things will get worse, well, things always have a way of getting worse. Better to be active, and try to make things better, take a risk, and live. And, if you fail, there are plenty of other risks to take. You're bound to hit one that pays off, right? Never be afraid of new experiences, new ideas, or of looking at old things in new ways. Better to approach the world with warmth and an open mind than fear and tunnel vision.

I've put together a couple of bracelets in honor of the scene where Mame's clattering, ringing charm bracelets cause a bit of trouble during her role in a Broadway show, and cause her co-star to say, "What the hell have you got back there? Reindeer?" And I have been known to put strange things on my head or in my hair. I'm also pretty sure my nephew would describe me fondly as his favorite eccentric auntie. I did, after all, get him a dead honking rubber chicken for his birthday. I figure we could all use a little Auntie Mame.

Okay, that's quite enough self-help, day-brightening for one post. Again, to quote Mame, "What am I going to do with this damn stinking halo?"

The imdb listing for Auntie Mame:

http://us.imdb.com/title/tt0051383/