How Many Crossroads Do I Have To Make??????????? Because I Want To Cross Several More!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                          When I was in fifth grade, during the 1965-66 school year, I loved the "Doctor Dolittle" books, by Hugh Lofting.  There happened to be a collection of them in my classroom library, and I devoured every one.  The only one I never got to read was "Doctor Dolittle In The Moon," which intrigued me because of the title, and Lofting's use of the preposition "in," rather than "on."

                                            In 1967, Twentieth Century-Fox released what turned out to be a disastrous movie adaptation of the Lofting stories, under the title "Doctor Dolittle," featuring a miscast Rex Harrison.  It was actually nominated for Best Picture Of 1967, losing out to "In The Heat Of The Night," alongside "Bonnie And Clyde" and "The Graduate."  Can you imagine?

                                              I still have never gotten round to seeing the movie "Doctor Dolittle."  But I did own the soundtrack album at the time, and the Leslie Bricusse  score was not that bad.  After all, "Talk To The Animals" took home the Best Song Oscar that year.  But the song that haunted me, then, and haunts me now, is a song called "At The Crossroads," sung by Samantha Eggar early in the film, judging by the album tracks.  She was dubbed by some obscure singer named Diane Lee.  

                                            Here is a portion of how it goes--

                                            "Here I stand, at the crossroads of life.

                                              Childhood behind me, the future to come.

                                              All alone.

                                              Nothing planned, at the crossroads of life,

                                              But life may find me more grateful than some.

                                              Grateful to have seen, all the wonderful things I've seen............"

                                              That last line is most telling, girls, for, I too, feel the same way.  And though I plan to go into this procedure with the determination of Vivien Leigh as Scarlett O'Hara, and survive, I think of what I am grateful for--

                                                1. My beloved, David.

                                                2. My parents, grandparents, sister, and her children.

                                                3. My mother living long enough to see me graduate from college.

                                                4. All the friends, human and animal, in my life.

                                                5. The movie, "The Wizard Of Oz."

                                                6.  Ditto "Gone With The Wind," "The Song Of Bernadette," "The Sound 

                                                       Of Music," "Doctor Zhivago," and "Nashville."

                                                 7.  Thanks to authors Harper Lee, Truman Capote, Carson McCullers,

                                                        and countless others, for guiding and inspiring me.

                                                 8.  For having the privilege of having seen the Original Casts Of "A

                                                      Chorus Line," and "Runaways."  Special thanks to Donna McKechnie 

                                                      and Trini Alvarado.

                                                  9. Shelley Plimpton, for introducing "Frank Mills."

                                               10.  Last, and always, Baby Mouse, who got me through adolescence!

                                                 I will return, girls!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  I promise!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                          With gratitude to all!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!