"Meet Me in St. Louis" played on the Turner Classic Network today. Of course, I watched it. I've probably seen the film at least a thousand times. I can speak the lines and sing the songs. It's a movie that never grows old for me via an August heads up that soon brisk weather will bring the smell of bonfires, wool jackets, and the soft comfort of well broken in blue jeans. And the knowledge that the most joyous of all holidays are coming right around the corner.
Perhaps my love affair with this movie is simply a romanticized nostalgia for a time long ago where good manners were the rule. Where families sat together for dinner and talked about their lives. Where entertainment came from reading or spending time with other human beings. Where hard work and determination always meant success.
Based on a memoir written by a former St. Louis resident, "Meet Me in St. Louis" is a classically simple story that never fails to make me smile, make me cry, and then make me smile again. It's one of my favorite feel good movies.
So don't be surprised if you find me watching "Meet Me in St. Louis" again next week.
Because ostriches like me find it a far more pleasant pastime than the daily news.
