I love Westport, Connecticut.
If you haven't been here before, it's a wonderful town, with its roots as an artist's community. There are many interesting descriptions and statistics that can be found on the net. Wikipedia has a comprehensive account (I learned a lot myself!) Westport is home to many celebrities, most notably husband and wife team and long time Westport residents, Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward. In fact, this weekend, BF and I had a date night at their new restaurant in town called The Dressing Room which is co-located with the Westport Country Playhouse - the famous theatre that was brought back to life from 2000-2005 with an amazing multi-million dollar renovation thanks to the untiring efforts of the playhouse's then Artistic Director Joanne Woodward.
While we were enjoying ourselves in the novelty, hominess, and holiday cheer of the new restaurant (Do Not Pass Up Dessert - the apple crumble was simply delectable!), we were surrounded by the very essence of Westport. At the table next to us was Eartha Kitt. At the table next to her was Gene Wilder. Only in Westport kids. Only in Westport.
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I thought about these two actors and how they made huge impressions upon me as a child. I was surprised to discover that Eartha Kitt played Catwoman a mere three times from 1967-1968. As a child, I was enthralled with her purr-fect performance and envious of her teeny tiny waist in that show-stopping black costume. She made a big impact on me 30 years ago. Fast forward to Primogeniture today. He is also a huge Eartha Kitt fan. He even informed me with a deep green envy in his voice, that his best friend has been to her house (He's friends with her grandson, perhaps?) Interesting comment for a twelve year old boy, right? Well, if you have children about Primogeniture's age, then you know that she has a large following from her recent role as Madame Zeroni in the Disney adaptation of the Louis Sachar's classic children's book Holes where Madame Zeroni tries to teach a lesson that is only learned a few generations later by the main character.
Now, let's make another mother-son connection to my Gene Wilder sighting. I am a huge fan of Willy Wonka. So are my boys. But they think that Willy Wonka is played by Johnny Depp. I know better. I know the best version is the one of my youth where Willy Wonka is portrayed by Gene Wilder. I guess, in the end, it doesn't really matter. It's a great story about values and morals and life lessons.
When Charlie and the Chocolate Factory came out on DVD, we rented it. The boys loved it. I told them about the original, so we rented that one, too. We were able to compare and contrast my childhood favorite to theirs. It was very interesting to say the least.
So my date night ended up reminding me of the wonders of entertainment and bridging the generation gap. But wait, there's more. There was also a bit of life lessons and morals in each of the attraction we all felt to these actors. Let's get back to Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward. Yes... I'm going to relate them to the boys, too.
In Boy Scouts there are three required merit badges for the trail to Eagle Scout
- Citizenship in the Community
- Citizenship in the Nation
- Citizenship in the World
I feel these two actors embody these three Boy Scout Merit Badges in their every day lives, not only with their fame, their wealth, but also with their hearts and time. You've heard of Newman's Own, of course, and you know how Paul Newman receives the profits and royalties from the company and then distributes them to charities of his choice. It is estimated that he has donated nearly $200 million within the community, across the country and throughout the world. Have you read about one of your favorite charities receiving money from Newman's Own? I have. I read about how Newman's Own sponsors or supports military charities all the time in my weekly newspaper Marine Corps Times. I'm impressed. I also only have to pick up the local paper to see a picture of Joanne Woodward renovating the Westport Country Playhouse or reading to the elementary school children in her neighborhood during Dr. Seuss's Read Across America. These two great Americans do wonderful things for our community, nation and world.
Keep up the good work! You're an inspiration to all of us.
How does this relate to Primogeniture and Secundogeniture? They are learning about community service through Scouts. They did their part, too. Our Boy Scout Troop collected toys for the local community center and delivered them this past Friday just in time for their holiday party. It looked like the many contributions (including the toys from our Scouts) will help over 200 children have a very Merry Christmas this year, too.
Remember, you too can make a difference, one step at a time, right in your own home town.
