In the 3rd Grade, I Discuss Art w/ Elizabeth Hiatt (a Movie - "Days of Wine and Roses", Starring Jack Lemmon and Lee Remick)

As I've been thinking back on all these songs from my youth, another memory sprang to mind. I was in 3rd grade at Our Lady of Guadalupe Elementary School in La Habra, California; Mrs. Borchardt was the teacher, as I recall. Now, I read a lot of books and saw a lot of movies as a kid that were not necessarily kids' fare (the novel Ice Station Zebra in 2nd grade stands out in particular). So one night I went home from school, I was either 10 or 11, I guess, and watched Days of Wine and Roses with at least my mother and possibly my father, too, though I don't recall him being in the room. I do recall being so traumatized by the film that I don't believe I've seen it since (I likely need to remedy that).

The next day at school I still couldn't get the movie off my mind, and desperately wanted to talk to somebody about it. So I went to a classmate, Elizabeth Hiatt - I don't know now why I thought she was the best bet - and asked if there was any chance she'd seen Days of Wine and Roses the night before. She had. And I remember being so RELIEVED; there was somebody who'd seen it, somebody I could talk to about it. Now, I have no idea what we said about the movie, no recollection at all, but I do know that was probably the first conversation I ever had with another person about art - to see some piece of art that effected you and find another person whom it also effected and then to talk about it.

So, Liz Hiatt, from across the years - cheers to you.

IBL:mm