My mother, may she rest in peace, used to say, there is someone for everyone. But is that actually true? As a child, growing up, I yearned for the adult life, but never felt, even before puberty, I would fit into its conventional aspects. And with adolescence, and Tennessee Williams as my spokesman, not to mention Miss Havisham, I felt spinsterhood was my destiny. Thankfully, I was proven wrong. But how many are? Or aren't??????????????
I maintain children, as far back as elementary school, can spot the spinsters among them. Of course, some surprise us, as did several girls in my class, but for the most part, I was right.
I will never forget my first viewing of "Annie Hall," in Manhattan, back in 1977. It was in a theater on Broadway, and you know the sequence where Woody has these kids pose as his schoolmates, and relate what they are doing now as adults? Well, when I saw the last child, a little bespectacled, nerdy looking girl, who says, "I'm into leather!," I thought, "Oh, my God! She looks just like Elaine Grimminger!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" I laughed out loud!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Elaine was one of those spinsterish looking girls. But she excelled in math. I know this, because I sat behind her in Trig class, and, if I had been devious enough to cheat off her, I might have done better. But I wanted to prove myself in math--something I always regretted, and still do--so I stuck it out myself.
Elaine aced the class. So I have to give her credit. But she was one of those girls who, I felt, was marked for spinsterhood. For all I know, she could be anything but.
Hey, I thought I was marked! And look what happened!
Here is the "Annie Hall" girl. I swear she looks just like Elaine Grimminger, back then!!!!!!!
No comments:
Post a Comment