Monday, April 29, 2013

A Day of "Making Nice" and ARGO

Yesterday I was at church from early morning until late afternoon. Our brief Sunday morning choir practice began earlier than usual, at 9:15. After church, I helped set up Wyatt Hall for a funeral reception and attended the 2 PM funeral for a dear woman who actually practiced what we promise in our Baptismal Covenant--"to seek and serve Christ in all persons, loving your neighbor as yourself." I had known she was a retired librarian,  but had not known that her library was at Northern Virginia Community College, which would have entailed a one-way commute of nearly an hour. Co-workers and women she had encouraged to complete their educations traveled some distance on a beautiful April Sunday afternoon to say good-bye, but I am not surprised. Rebecca was a loving woman. 

The parishioners brought way too much food for the reception afterwards. At the end of the day, we boxed up the leftovers and took them to Reality House, a half-way house for folks in recovery, which is just down the street from us. "Thank you, Jesus!" said one of the residents as she helped carry the cut-up vegetables, tea sandwiches and cake into the house.

After acting more sociable than I actually am for more than eight hours, I was ready to turn off the phone and raise the drawbridge. That evening we--husband, pit-bull and cat-- watched ARGO, a thoroughly enjoyable cliff-hanger. "Get that plane up in the air!" I fretted, as the story moved toward its climax. Would the six American diplomats, who were impersonating Canadian film makers, manage to elude the clutches of the Iranians, who were holding the other American diplomats hostage after the embassy take-over in 1979? Glitches in the carefully-crafted escape plan kept popping up, escalating my anxiety. In addition to suspense, the film displayed an impressive array of engaging characters: fusty government bureaucrats, irreverent Hollywood types, and a brilliant CIA operative, a good guy for once. The success of his mission depended on winning the complete trust of all six Americans, which he appeared to do, with one persnickety exception.

Tory if you're reading this, I have a question for you. (Tory, who blogs at ioftenwonderwoman.blogspot.com, is from Toronto.) Ben Affleck, whose speciality as a CIA operative" was getting people out," put the six Americans through a crash course on their new Canadian identities, including correcting their accents. I expected him to work on the pronunciation of "about" or "house," but instead he cautioned the woman who was supposed to be from Toronto not to call it "ToronTO."   Natives call it  "Torono," he said. Tory, is this true?  

7 comments:

  1. Loved the comment about "putting up the drawbridge" and can totally understand!

    I fret during suspenseful shows/movies, too.

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  2. LOL, I feel like that every time I go to work. Working with the public is really starting to get to me the older I get. I'd like to tell them exactly how I feel, but of course you can't do such a thing....as I nod and smile at them while they are complaining about the neighbor's bushes being too tall or some other ridiculous thing.
    I loved Argo!! such a great movie and to think it was all taking place while we were blissfully unaware....just looking after our children and deciding what to cook for dinner. (I started work shortly after this event). I'd recommend this movie to anyone.

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  3. Oh you are so right Forsythia. If you were to say 'ToronTo' to a Torontonian they would laugh their butts off and ask...'Are you American?' It is Torono or it's not right. Very important if you are trying to escape Iran..lol. The 'aboot' thing is more from the west coast of Canada, like B.C. area. The rest of Canada does not really say 'aboot'. Love you Forsythia...
    Tory

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  4. By the way, I must see Argo. I distinctly remember that whole thing happening, I guess I was in my very early 20's. I remember the wonderful thanks from tons of Americans in our Toronto Star, thanking Canada for their help. Wonderful.

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  5. It sounds like Rebecca's was a life well lived and how wonderful that the extra food was taken to the halfway house!
    Like you, I can only take so much socializing before I am ready to "raise the drawbridge".
    I have not seen "Argo" yet but have heard it is good and definitely want to see it.

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  6. Thought I would invite you to follow or subscribe to my journal on journalscape. Link is http://www.journalscape.com/smartiplants/
    Nan

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  7. Forsythia, I went to see Argo at the theater with our former 'boss', Sue. We were both so impressed with how the credits showed the accuracy of scenes in the movie compared to scenes from the actual event. Did they show that on the version you watched?
    And it might not get the glory of a rescue mission, but what you all do at the soup kitchen is saving lives, too. A big 'thank you' for all you do for others!

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