Sound of Music

This year marks the 40th anniversary of Sound of Music.  Which is, one of my favorite things.  Growing up in a dysfunctional family, with lots of children, I got a great idea watching the movie at the drive inn.  If I could convert my rag tag two sisters and three brothers into a singing group-we could be rescued.  I made the siblings practice serveral shows before giving up this idea.  (There may have been some Partridge Family influences as well.)

  I remember suffering from a severe longing that, at any moment, Julie Andrews would arrive to govern us.  The combination of her Mary Poppins and Maria VonTrapp would have set our little Martinez' monsters on the right path.  The chaos and hunger would have been gone with a "Spoonful of Sugar" or "Edelweiss". 

Oprah did a reunion show with the cast, including all the kids, and that feeling of longing returned.  I realize that some of my beliefs about parenting and relationships were derived from these fictional images of perfection. I didn't want to be Maria but I sure did want her to be my mom.   I have the comfort that I did give my children a much more joyous childhood than I had. 

I think my love of the moutain vistas and the belief that little children can make it over the top was also inspired by this story.  I guess it's a good thing I didn't covet Mary Poppins and start looking longingly at Buskers.