LEAVING HOME

I just finished watching a charming movie starring English actress Pauline Collins about a 40ish wife and mother who goes to Greece and ultimately finds her true self. The title is “Shirley Valentine” and I guess you could rate it “R” because of several situations. But Shirley is such a delightful person, who speaks directly to the audience in much of the movie that you enjoy enormously those aspects which are portrayed with great humor. I found none of it offensive, just surprising.

When Shirley makes plans with a female friend to spend two weeks at a Greek Island resort leaving her husband and grown children at home, I started to remember going away with three of my friends for a golfing weekend.

I was probably 50 years old and it was my first time away for an outing that had nothing to do with visiting my mother, father or children.

My friends and I took advantage of a discounted package at a well-known golf resort about four hours from home.

What did four women do on a trip like that? Of course we played golf for two days, ate out and visited famous historical places. However, the things that stick out in my memory are that the end of the first night there was much drinking, so much so that on the second day of golfing, I played spectacularly. This upset my friends who were better golfers than I but were too hung over to beat me.  I had only one drink the previous evening.

Three of us were smokers, which we did all day long and well into the night. The next morning, I felt I never wanted to smoke another cigarette. When I returned home, that’s when I really decided to quit smoking because we were going to have our first grandchild and I wanted to be around to see that person grow up. It took awhile but I finally succeeded by only smoking cigarettes I bummed from others, which in reality can be totally embarrassing. I’ve always told people that I enjoyed every cigarette I ever smoked, but I’m glad I stopped and think of all the money I’ve saved through twenty nine years.

I think “Shirley Valentine” is a film that will be especially enjoyable for the ladies.