Ever had the discussion about who would be at your dream dinner party - alive or dead? People's lists normally include all sorts of people from Lady Gaga to JFK ... but what if you could have a dinner party with your favourite fictitious characters from book or film? Who would you invite? Here is my selection for a dream dinner party...
My dream list of guests is as follows:
Atticus Finch (To Kill a Mockingbird)
Ron Burgundy (Anchorman)
Ron Weasley (Harry Potter)
Jacob Black (Twilight Saga)
The Doctor (in the form of David Tennant please!)
Aragorn (Lord of the Rings)
Elizabeth Bennett (Pride and Prejudice)
Vianne Rocher (Chocolat)
Sugar Kane Kowalczyk (Some Like it Hot)
Princess Leia (Star Wars)
Yvaine (Stardust)
Lisa Simpson (The Simpsons)
Jean Louise ‘Scout’ Finch (To Kill a Mockingbird)
At the start of the night (in the drinking, pre-eating stage of the evening) Scout would be allowed to stay up with her dad to meet the guests and would have her friend Lisa Simpson to talk to once when had been sent upstairs to bed (wouldn’t they just have the best chats ever!)
Friendships that might begin over the first course: Atticus Finch and Elizabeth Bennett. I imagine, as they are both moral but quietly daring for their times, they would get on really well. I can also see Ron Weasley and Jacob Black getting on… that is, unless Jacob sees Ron as one of the pale faces. Yvaine and Princess Leia could talk out of world experiences with the Doctor and compare notes on which planet is the most interesting – or amusing to watch. Ron Burgundy would probably want to “be on” Sugar, and she might just go for it (fuzzy end of the lollipop in that moustache) – unless Aragorn steps in to be her knight in shining armour. And the lovely Vianne, who would no doubt get along with everybody, would bring us the most delectable assortment of treats for dessert.
And as for me? I would be chatting to Elizabeth Bennett and Yvaine as much as I could, having heated debates over moral issues with Atticus and Aragorn and drooling over David Tennant’s Doctor, wishing he would transport me to somewhere really cool. Sugar and Ron Burgundy would be making me laugh all evening and I could spend hours listening to Vianne talk about chocolate. I would be a little overly friendly with Jacob Black and get him to hug me (shirt optional). I would ask Ron W about how his family are doing and get him to teach me a few spells.
And though I would love to see them in the flesh I opted out of inviting the rugged and oh so sexy Mr Rochester and Mr Darcy because let’s face it – they’d make horrible dinner party guests. Rochester would be snapping at people and making them feel awkward and Darcy would just be brooding off in a corner, staring at Elizabeth.
So who would be at your dream dinner party and why....?
LE xxx
This week, the fab people at Chance for Autism (@ChanceForAutism) pulled off a great eye-opening and fun day with the help of the lovely Gizzi Erskine and Scott Mills among others. Their aim? To prove that Autistic people are not useless, that they have something to offer the world and can be valuable employees.
This caught my attention because I work with many Autistic children but sadly these children are at the other end of the Autistic spectrum and employment for them is not really a possibility. But there is something they could use - understanding. I have lost count of the number of times I have received stares and judgemental looks from passers by when we take the kids out for trips and I realise that it comes from a total lack of understanding of what Autism is. Ignorance - in this instance - is not bliss!
And it made me realise that before I worked with these children, I was exactly the same. I didn't know a thing about Autism because I had never needed to. And then I read The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time by Mark Haddon and my perspective on Autism and Asbergers was transformed. Its genius is that it is still fiction. The plot is entirely made up, but brilliantly written by Haddon from the perspective of a young boy with Aspergers Syndrome. By exploring the world through his eyes, the reader is forced to see what he endures, how society treats him and how his mind works. It really is a book that everyone needs to read at some point in their life - and the sooner the better.
Here are my top books that have altered my perspective:
- The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time by Mark Haddon
- To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee - arguably started the idea that a book written from the child's perspective offers a naive but pure and innocent view on society. Deals beautifully with the civil rights issues in America where blacks were considered lesser citizens.
- The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas by John Boyne - once again explores the horror of Nazi Germany and the Holocaust through the eyes of a young German boy who doesn't really understand what is happening. Gripping from start to finish. Absolutely brilliant.
- Freedom Writers - For a non-fiction book, the honesty of the class in their entries is mind blowing. Very courageous and admirable stuff. Brings positivity out of an otherwise bleak situation.
So take a look at life from a different perspective and see what you think.
As always - enjoy! :)
LE xx
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