As bedtimes were backed up this evening, and the children abandoned the street, and balls and bikes were tossed aside in anticipation of school starting in the morning, all the quiet was way too loud this evening.
It had me remembering another time that the quiet was bothersome. When our Princess was eight days old, it was Thanksgiving Day…..and we were living in Japan. Our little family had been invited to our friend’s house for Thanksgiving dinner, but the wind was whipping, and the cold was biting. We decided it was best not to take our newborn out in all of that, even briefly, so I sent my Fella and Aub on without us. We both would probably sleep most of the time they were away anyway.
As it turned out, only one of us did.
And it wasn’t me.
So I turned on the TV. We got some channels from the states, so I flipped around and landed on a movie that, to this day, I cannot tell you why I kept it on.
“Castaway.”
Oh my land, I wasn’t crazy about it when I saw it in the movie theater–why on earth I thought I needed to watch it on Thanksgiving day while my sweet baby slept and the whole rest of the world was celebrating without me and I was miles and miles away from my Mama and Daddy…..well, I have no idea.
And yet I did.
I’m sure I flipped away from it a time or two, but let’s face it–putting on your best shows is not a programmer’s priority on Thanksgiving Day. So Tom Hanks it was.
And then Wilson.
I canNOT bear that scene. Volleyballs in stores send me back to that moment, and I will tear up, no joke. Fortunately, that’s not something you see a lot of at the getting places around here.
This summer it finally hit me why I LOATHED that movie so much.
It’s not because of Tom Hanks either. I LOVE him. #SleeplessinSeattle #YouveGotMail #Big #Splash #andalltheOthers #except Castaway
It occurred to me on one of our OutandAbouts. Sometimes I’ll let the crew watch something while we are traveling in the car. This summer they’ve watched (and I’ve listened) to more than our fair share of “Gilligan’s Island,” including one of the followup movies. (Tina Louise wasn’t in that one–it troubled me to no end, and I was only listening.)
I grew up with Gilligan and crew. I KNOW how deserted island life is supposed to go. I KNOW how much people pack to go on boats even when they’re only going to be gone for three hours. I KNOW how much food is on an island, and I KNOW that others happen upon the “deserted” isle from time to time, so there’s NO WAY AT ALL that someone would need a volleyball for companionship.
And so I’ve decided that’s it. That’s why I cannot tolerate “Castaway” and all of its suggestions to the contrary. I’ve seen Gilligan. It’s ruined me for any other shipwrecked or plane crashes and the like where you wind up on a deserted island type of shows. Once you know the truth, fiction just won’t cut it.
Tonight I’m thankful that my littles love Gilligan as much or more as I ever did. I’m thankful for their giggles and that the sound of their laughter was the soundtrack for this summer. As we stir ourselves in the morning and pull out the sharpened pencils and pristine notebooks and turn the crisp pages of new books, I hope that the spirit of the folks of the S. S. Minnow will prevail–love, friendship, ingenuity, loyalty, and togetherness. And I hope that none of my children ask to play volleyball this year.
It’s still too soon.
Love to all.
I Might Need A Nap 