‘Steel’ yourself: Ouiser lives in Blount County
No matter how many times I’ve seen “Steel Magnolias” I can’t help but watch it again anytime I chance upon it.
That was the case this past week as I was relaxing on my couch trying to wind down after a Monday at work. You know the kind. As I flipped through the channels I came across the smiling faces of Sally Field, Dolly Parton and company in Truvy’s salon getting ready for Shelby’s big day.
“Magnolias” is one of those movies that never gets old. Maybe it’s because Field reminds me of my mom. Our relationship has its ups and downs, as most mother-daughter relationships do. Or maybe it’s the fact that this movie can always produce tears. Not just a drop or two, but the kind that make you grab a pillow and squeeze it tight. And sometimes a good cry is needed.
Or it could be my kinship with one of the residents of the fictional town Chinquapin, La., the one who I envision myself becoming one day. Ouiser Boudreaux, played by Shirley MacLaine. As she puts it, she’s not crazy, she’s just “been in a very bad mood for 40 years.”
Ouiser is lovable, despite her bad attitude. And she would bend over backwards for those she cares about, especially her best friend Clairee Belcher, played by Olympia Dukakis.
Clairee is the socialite of the town. She’s posh, classy and has more money than she knows what to do with. Whereas I see myself becoming Ouiser, my BFF will definitely be Clairee. It’s fitting, if you think about it.
In some ways, I think I’m already a Ouiser. The older I get, the grumpier I get. I’ve noticed the same thing about my brother, so maybe it’s simply a Greever trait. And the grumpier I get, the less I like people. I also find that I’m much more likely to tell you what I think than I used to be.
I was raised to sugarcoat things. Problems were kept within the family as it was no one’s business but ours. And I grew up hating conflict. I would rather wash and wax your car than get in a fight with you. I was sweet and nice and all those sickly sappy things.
Well now, I’m a grown-up, and things are certainly different. My problems and heart-felt thoughts are aired each week in this column with more than 20,000 people. OK, we have more than 20,000 subscribers but I know that not everyone reads it.
And it’s not that I necessarily enjoy conflict these days, but I don’t avoid it like the plague. I don’t bite my tongue, even when I should. And if I’m grumpy, which is more often than not, you’re going to know it.
As one friend put it, my grumpiness is part of my “charm.” Maybe he’s right and it’s one of my endearing qualities, although not at the top of the list. Maybe it’s as cute as some suggest, but I doubt it.
So instead I’ll just go ahead and prepare to become a “Ouiser” of wherever I finally end up. I’ll be the crazy cat lady that children will taunt and dogs will bark at. But as long as I have my support system of those who love me despite my grumpiness, I can face anything. I think.