what? a non-self-promotional blog? Robin Hood...bless you.

so I've become marginally obsessed (if one CAN become marginally obsessed) with the BBC's miniseries Robin Hood. It's more than a little anachronistic (at least with their puns) and SOMEone complained to me about the actresses having "smokey eye" and overall that their makeup was too good, BUT...

I love it.

I love Robin Hood.

I love the swords and the armo(u)r. I love the love stories. I love the houses. I love the Medieval-ness of it.

I love the whole concept.

I especially love the "Steal from the Rich to Give to the Poor"

And I'm not even going to get into the religious implications of his actions.

One of my favorite movies growing up was Disney's Robin Hood. Yes, the one with the foxes. In fact, I even wrote a song based on it (Fortunes, Forecasts & Lucky Charms - which you can find here: http://itunes.apple.com/us/album/presents/id310215036 Ah! Damnit I said it wasn't self-promotional! sorry.) I distinctly remember playing under the dining room table when I was 5 or 6 with my brother, John, who was 2 or 3 (of course HE was Little John) and shooting arrows at my 30-year-old parents and their friends. I mean, you give a kid obsessed with Robin Hood an Erector Set and you know how quickly those turn into bows and arrows? All you have to do is crack them in JUST the right spot. oops. sorry, I guess I cant build anything with them...can I have some string to "help hold it together?" :-P

And "we don't steal...we just sort of borrow from those who can afford it" :-)

So as I grew up, this remained my favorite movie (and still may be today - the lamest song in the movie was nominated for an Oscar - how cool is THAT?) and as I got some sort of what resembles clarity I can look back on it as how exceedingly influential is has been in my life.

1. I want to learn how to Arch.
For real. Or whatever the verb "to shoot a bow and arrow" is. I find it clean. and noble. and it takes a lot of skill to do well. the day my only (other) adult roommate brought his bow home my eyes were wider than the moon and I made him promise to teach me. Then I got married and he moved to Alaska. damnit.

2. I have a natural inclination to dislike people with money.
My friends say it as "you hate rich people." but that's not really the case. There are more than a few people who come from wealthy situations whom I adore. And it is not based on the money but on the person. There are plenty of good people in the world who happen to be financially well off who have a decent head on their shoulders and make sure to look out for others as much as they can. It is the person who prefers to turn a profit rather than giving someone a living wage and civilized situation that I have a problem with. And, hey, I'm all for competition and giving a higher salary to someone who earns it. It's when things get ostentatious that I start getting uncomfortable. For instance, Newport, RI is famous for "the mansions" - the huge summer homes of the Vanderbilts, Rockefellers, etc - and they are still there open for tours. It was touted to me as this lovely romantic getaway, and walking through The Breakers (one of the mansions) I felt like Liam Neeson at the end of the movie as he looked at his watch and car. "five people...fifteen people..." I don't think it had the intended impact.

3. I give away too much money.

like, seriously.

On my wedding day, before the wedding, in the morning, under the semblance of walking to Dunkies, I went to the ATM and took out $200. I handed out $20 bills to the first ten homeless people I saw. And I felt that it wasn't enough. I KNEW that that money would be replaced by some envelopes by some overly generous family members but the reason I did it is that I hoped that it helped out those persons if just for that day. I often keep money in my car for the sole purpose of giving it to the guy who tries to clean my windshield on the corner of Columbus & Boston & Mass Ave. Cause I know that when I get home, even if it's just pasta, I am going to be able to feed my family when this person may not be able to. When I was in High School, my "allowance" was often gone on Tuesday cause I knew that I could ask someone in the caf to buy me lunch and there are some DAMN good musicians in the NYC Subway system playing for their supper.

I'm not trying to be holier than thou. I'm just trying to be me. Rest assured, when (not if) I win MegaMillions, I'll be SURE to pay off my house and THEN get a Maserati in the driveway of my condo outside Florence, but I'm sure much of the winnings wouldn't be mine for long. Between the schools that have been generous to me and the charities that I would like to be generous to, I'd say it would last three hours, tops.

But for now, I am more than ok with my Saturn VUE in the driveway of my house in Hyde Park, but if you need something I have a little more than I need of, please ask, cause I'm happy to share.

And if you need to point fingers, point it at that fox. Ooh De Lally.