God in the City

After reading my last post, someone asked who would play me in a movie?  Hmm…I’ll get to that in a minute.

But what about the other people in my life?  Who are they and who would play them in a movie?

I’ll start by embarrassing my daughters.  Well, there is no one out there as beautiful as they are, so we’d have to settle for next best.

Brittany would be played by Kate Winslett.  Brittany is smart, creative, talented, outgoing – like her dad, and has the most amazing knowledge of pop culture.  Forget IMDB, if you need to know who was in any movie, ask Brittany.  She is a big city girl and knows what she wants.  She has helped me to find what I really want.

Kate Winslett

Danielle could be played by Kim Cardashian.  This summer when we learned to ride motorcycles together, Danielle taught me that we are not  back of the bike girls, we like to drive!  Smart, sarcastic, wise beyond her years, super dry and hilarious sense of humor, and surprisingly a little shy.  She has her dad’s people skills, but a little more reserved.

Kim Cardashian

What about the Starbucks Sisters?

Sharon would be played by Diane Keaton. Beautiful, wise, witty, loyal.  She helped me so much after my separation.  She came over and hung out with me, and talked it all out with me.  Incredible wisdom from this one.  She just totally gets life.

Diane Keaton

Her husband John would be played by Ron Howard.  He is laid back and talks like a southern boy, but is brilliant and insightful.  I quote John a lot in my book. (By the way, John has been the only man at enough UMW meetings that he wouldn’t be offended by being considered part of the Starbucks Sisters).

Ron Howard

Frankie.  When anyone has something going on in their life, she is always there with a card, flowers, or a meal, she is the ultimate nurturer.  She has the guts to strongly stand up and defend what she believes in, but you know that deep inside, conflict hurts her heart. Emma Thompson could capture her beautfiul inner sassiness.  She always knows what to say to offer words of healing.

Emma Thompson

Diane could be played by Jennifer Connelly.  She is quiet strength behind the scenes.  A powerful recruiter for choir and UMW and is probably the “Simon” of her neighborhoods architectural review board. She has the purest heart of anyone I know.  When she told us at coffee once that she used a bad word, we almost died laughing!  She can soothe me without saying a word, but just with her sympathetic eyes.

Jennifer Connelly

Charlene would be played by Delta Burke, but Delta would have to color her hair a gorgeous blonde to give her a beautiful golden mane.  Charlene is a very sweet and kind southern girl, but don’t even think about crossing her.  You won’t even see it coming.  They don’t call her the velvet brick for nothing!  She has lived through a lot of similar life experiences as me, and also has my dream job of being a professional writer, so I look up to her as a role model in many ways.  She is sassy and fun and brings out the joy in life.

Delta Burke

Erin would be played by Sarah Jessica Parker.  She is superwoman, raising kids, working full time, being a woman of incredible strength and power.  I first met Erin in a Lenten bible study and loved the way that she is totally open and humble to learning.  I feel great insight and wisdom from her every time we hang out together.

Sarah Jessica Parker

Okay, Pam’s not black, but this actress from Private Practice has her same eyes.  Pam is an amazing, courageous woman who has been strengthened by her life’s experiences. She is a doer, and takes action to make things better in the world.  She strikes me as someone who absolutely will not take crap from anyone or let anyone put her down.  At the same time, she is incredibly compassionate and fiercely loyal to everyone she loves.

Audra McDonald

So who would play me? Anna Gasteyer.  She’s a lot like me – sometimes pretty, sometimes silly, not afraid to look dumb to make a humorous point (ask my students).  I am feeling incredible healing in my life. I think the fiery badness of my divorce has sort of baked out a lot of past hurts.  I’ve started attending a divorce recovery program and I love it that they say not to date for 14 weeks.  It makes it sound like I’m having to hold back the tide of men clamoring for my attention.  I can concentrate on the things in my life that I love:  my spiritual journey, my job, my family, and my friends.

Anna Gasteyer