Last weekend I saw Julie and Julia. I had been prepared for it - the reviews I heard said that Meryl Streep was a fantastic Julia Child, while Julie's character was pretty dull and mousy.

I come from a household of Julia Child fanatics. I remember often watching The French Chef on Saturday afternoons as a young child.

I can identify with Julie's character. Albeit, I am jealous that I didn't come up with this idea myself: cook all of Julia' Child's recipes in a year and then blog about it. But then again, who in this household would eat it? I live with people who don't eat even a tiny amount of onion in any recipe.

I loved the movie...

...and I hated the movie.

Hated it because it reminded me that the frustrated Julie is a lot like me - wondering where my destiny lies. And hated the "woe is me" of the 30-something with a great husband with a carefree life in New York City, who ODs on self-pity for no reason. I hate those feelings in myself. I kept wanting to yell at the camera, "If you want to be a writer, then write something - don't expect someone to write it for you!"

How do I describe myself? As a writer! No wishy washy "I'm not a real writer because I haven't published anything." As far as I am concerned, I am a writer because I write my original thoughts! (And, yes, I have had articles published in two newspaper, plus something I translated has been published in an anthology).

Writing a letter, a blog, an obituary, a mission statement, a grant application or a recipe. All of these make me a writer. I don't need a million hits on my blog to make me feel like my words mean something, and neither should wishy-washy Julie. If you read the Julia Child biography Appetite for Life you realize the keys to Julia's success were perseverance and hard work.

The key to Julie's fame? Some work, but mostly luck.

What would Julia Child have thought of the movie? I have a feeling she would have agonized about incorrect details, but otherwise would have enjoyed it. I once heard Julia Child say she thought the Saturday Night Live spoof was really funny. She could laugh fun at herself.

Luckily, that we have in common. I have a few other things in common with Julia.

I doubt I will ever be as famous as either of these women, but that isn't my goal. It's what separates us that makes me stay interested in all things Julia. I would never, could never, do what she did:

send a card to all my friends au naturel in the bathtub with my husband!

She had guts! She worked hard and she attained huge successes that I probably will never acclaim. It works both ways, I didn't have her fame, but I have things she didn't have, and seeing the movie was another reminder that I need to be grateful every day for what do I have, and not long for what I don't!

What lessons do I take from JC? Cook with BUTTER, HEAVY CREAM and WINE, literally and figuratively. Live your life and don't apologize for it.

Like Julia Child's biography this blog entry is too long (it's almost 600 pages, this blog is about 600 words)! If I read the whole biography, then my readers can get through this. Take this blog with a grain of salt and a cup of vermouth.

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