Noel Coward

I saw my first Noel Coward play last night. If you haven't heard of him, he's a British Playwright from the early 1900's but his plays became really popular in the 60's and 70's. I saw Present Laughter which was so funny.

One of my favorite things about the show was how completely open the main character was with how self absorbed he was compared to all of the other characters who pretended that they weren't. Sometimes I feel like we are all going around pretending to be worried about everyone, when most of the time we are really we're thinking the most about ourselves.

That's a negative way of looking at it I know, but keep in mind I'm not married and don't have kids, so maybe it's just the place I'm in right now.

I looked up some Noel Coward quotes and he's great. He says things to actors that we wish we could say sometimes. (jokingly of course) He is also refreshingly honest.

• If you must have motivation, think of your paycheck on Friday.

• I don't believe in astrology. The only stars I can blame for my failures are those that walk about the stage.

• I love criticism just so long as it's unqualified praise.

• It's discouraging to think how many people are shocked by honesty and how few by deceit.

• Learn the lines and don't bump into the furniture.

• Work is much more fun than fun.

• My importance to the world is relatively small. On the other hand, my importance to myself is tremendous. I am all I have to work with, to play with, to suffer and to enjoy. It is not the eyes of others that I am wary of, but of my own. I do not intend to let myself down more than I can possibly help, and I find that the fewer illusions I have about myself or the world around me, the better company I am for myself.

If you are looking for something fun and different to read, try a play. They are quick and different from the usual novels you occupy your time with. Noel Coward has some great one liners too. I wish I could've taken notes during the show on the insults. Seriously they were great.

Undercover Boss

Have you seen the tv show Undercover Boss? I saw it for the first time the other night, and while I wasn't particularly interested in the show itself, there was a part I loved.

The premise of the show is the Boss (in this episode it was the COO of MGM Grand in Vegas) is a new employee and is being trained by other employees so he can see how things run and who is working for him. This guy worked with 2 dealers, a front desk agent, and a floor manager.

This is a clip of the boss revealing himself as the boss to the people who had trained him and giving them bonuses or rewards for being so good, because all of these people were actually really amazing. My favorite guy is the last one (4:00 on the video) who is a guy who came to Vegas with nothing and worked his way up while raising 5 boys alone. His reaction when the boss tells him that he is giving him $10,000 is so sweet.

That is the kind of person I want to be.

In Addition

I found the clip that I really wanted to include in my last post. It obviously shows more of the importance of friendship in the story.

I remember seeing this for the first time and thinking it was so powerful.

Friends make a difference

I've been thinking lately about friends and how important they are. When I think back on my favorite books or movies or characters, most of the time their main theme is friendship. Of course Harry Potter. Harry never would have made it without his friends.

I love this scene because even though he knows it's a losing battle, he really tries his best to cheer her up. So cute.

And then of course, Lord of the Rings. Are you kidding me?! One of the greatest examples of friendship in literature is Samwise Gamgee.

A Sam quote that I love is when he thinks Frodo is dying and he is trying to call him back. So simple and so pure he says: "Don't leave me here alone! It's your Sam calling. Don't go where I can't follow! Wake up, Mr. Frodo!" I definitely started crying when I read that.

Then, my absolute favorite part of the whole series is when they are halfway up the mountain to destroy the ring and Frodo lays down and gives up, he just can't go any further. Then Sam gives him this inspirational speech, but it isn't enough. Finally Sam says, "I can't carry it for you, but I can carry you!"

And carries him up the mountain.

It's just something I've been thinking about lately. I tend to think about it more when I feel like I'm only halfway up the mountain.

I love them.

I wish I could've gone home for the week and spent time with my crazy family. I sure miss them.

Summer is right around the corner.

Boys...

I'd noticed it before, but never really looked at it. Today I picked up this book from my friend's coffee table and started reading through it. Such simple wisdom that was true in the 1940's and is still true today.

Best advice from the first chapter "How to get him to date you":

• It is not advisable to consider moving to improve your marital opportunities unless you have family there or at least obtain your parents consent and approval.
• Do not neglect your girl friends; some of them have brothers; or their boyfriends have friends.
• Except when you know a man very well, try to have him date you several days in advance. Whether you're busy or not, you want to foster the illusion you're busy.

There are chapters on how to keep him interested, what to do on dates, and how to make up after arguments. What a great find.