Twenty-three Years Ago

The Color Purple is on WE TV tonight. I googled the movie to see when it premiered. It was 1985. I was in fourth grade. Regis and my dad took me, Mary, and Shay to the theater near Lakeside Mall on Vets. Afterwards, they treated us to Luther's Barbecue. It was the first and only time I'd stepped foot in the place. I couldn't tell you one detail about its atmosphere. My eyes swelled with tears for hours after Celie and Nettie reunited. It was so bad that I remember Regis and my dad getting pretty fed up with me. I couldn't control it. Two years later, the movie was on at my best friend Heather's house. Again, I cried and cried. Heather and her other friend Vicky left me on the couch as they went off to her room to listen to Poison cassettes on her boom box. They didn't get it.
Now I watch it and see the nuances of Danny Glover's character and feel a mother's love for Adam and Olivia and wonder where Shay and Mary are and wonder how I got here to 31 years in a city in which I never sought to live.
When I was in fourth grade, my teacher was Myrtis Dennis. I thought about her today as I set up my fourth grade classroom. I thought of her again tonight when I heard Shug Avery sing. Mrs. Dennis was my choir director. She had this voice. Even her speaking voice commanded attention, but not in an authoritative way. There was something about her style, her soul. She passed almost two years ago. I'll have to invoke her spirit this year. I'll try to be a Myrtis Dennis for my own fourth graders.
On Saturday, September 13th I will be at the Majestic Theater watching Oprah's Broadway production. The second they went on sale, I bought one ticket. Just one. That way, I can cry as much as I want and no one will have to deal with me.