Spelling Bee

Nothing major in this post I just wanted to share a special memory.

So one Saturday night I was at home and Akeelah and the Bee was on Lifetime. That movie holds a special place in my heart because it provokes several good memories.

I saw the movie in Seattle with one of my mentors Reggie Stuart. We were in Seattle for the American Society of Newspaper Editors (ASNE) convention. So we are in the theater watching previews and the fire alarm goes off. They made us evacuate the building. They didn't know when we could go back in to the movie theater. So what did we do? We walked over to Starbucks (there is one on every corner in Seattle) and got a hot drink. Hopefully we could see the movie when we finished. Patience is a virtue that everyone knows I lack but I was with Reggie so I was good. We enjoyed our hot beverages and walked back over to the theater. We got to see the movie (it was worth the wait) and we each got 10 passes to see movies for free at any AMC theater. Of course I was sitting in the theater crying...I'm a sucker for a touching story. The movie makes me think of my time in Seattle and especially getting to spend some quality time with one of my mentors. That will always be one of my most special memories of Reggie.

The movie also makes me think of a guy I used to date. Back in December of 2005 I was preparing to leave Atlanta for a job at the New York Times. At the last minute I decided to spend New Year's Eve in NYC and bring some of my stuff home. I had a great New Year's Eve but New Year's Day was pretty cool too. I spent the day watching reruns of previous Scripps National Spelling Bees with the guy I was dating at the time. I know it sounds nerdy but we had such a good time. Too bad I'm not a good speller and thanks to technology I don't have to be. But I can appreciate the people who are.

And lastly this movie actually makes me think about another movie and another guy. I have never done a New York Times crossword puzzle but being the nerd that I am I can appreciate a movie about it and the people who are obsessed with it. Wordplay is a great documentary and because it's about words the movie Akeelah the Bee makes me think about it. My best memory associated with the movie is spending a Sunday morning cuddled in the bed with a guy I was dating. We had slept in and when we woke up I made breakfast. We ate breakfast in bed and watched Wordplay. I thought he would think I was a corny nerd but turns out he liked the movie and he was a nerd too.

I like movies that provoke feel good memories. So thanks Lifetime for the reminder.