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April 01, 2008
The Prime of Miss(us) Courtney Sherwood
"A delightful, insightful and short novel about a group of private school girls in Edinburg, Scotland, and their intense relationship with teacher Jean Brodie." So I summarized "The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie" in my book journal when I finished the novel on Sept. 22, 2007. But what sticks with me half a year later is Miss Brodie's spirit. She's a flawed character - a pretty bad teacher, when it comes to the subject matter, an unfaithful lover, and a closet fascist. But she's also full of spirit and well aware that she's in the prime of her life and living every day to it's fullest.
There's so much about Miss Brodie that I don't want to be: politically unsound, romantically unreliable, professionally off-kilter. But I, too, feel overwhelmed by spirit and emotion and effulgence, like maybe I'm in the prime of Ms Courtney Sherwood.
And if that's true, then I may have the same fate as Miss Brodie, as well - a fall, or at least a decline. Once you've peaked it's hard to keep going up. But if this is the top, if I'm living at the height of my life, then it's a pretty good height. I can see a lot from here, and it's exhilarating. When my prime is over, I hope I'm ready to carefully climb back down. Until then, I'm going to enjoy it.
Posted by Courtney_Sherwood at April 1, 2008 08:59 PM
Comments
I remember feeling this sense of hyper-drive at just your age. Truly it is a kind of height, because you are as strong as you will ever be, and you are launching all parts of your life- personal (choosing a mate and building the foundations of your life together), professional (learning your craft to a point of respectable competence and then building beyond that), and recreational. It is not the end, but there is such a big thrill at this point. I often think back on it with satisfaction and pleasure, and could feel myself in it even then, consciously, in much the same way that you are feeling it now. Youth, in all its strength. Enjoy!
Posted by: Sue at April 2, 2008 08:00 AM
Such a nice perspective. Thank you, Sue.
Posted by: Courtney at April 2, 2008 12:10 PM