Powerful Stories about Women
Happy Women’s History Month!
I had an interesting conversation recently with Carole who, with two of her sisters, is finishing a memoir. I’m not a big fan of memoirs, but I interviewed Carole, Sue and Kathy several years ago. I know some of their story, and I also know that they have a way of making their bizarre upbringing and crazy life sound funny.
Carole told me that sorting their lives out enough to put it in writing has been gut-wrenching. Frankly, it didn’t surprise me. When I wrote my first book, Victorious Woman: Shaping Life’s Challenges Into Personal Victories, I learned that (1) every woman has a story and (2) not every woman wants to tell her story.
I’ll bet you have a story, don’t you? Would you tell yours – and put it in writing for family…friends…the world to read?
I wouldn’t have – at least not when I did. However, my editor made a valid case for telling at least some of my stories early in the first chapter of Victorious Woman. So I wrote it, and I know exactly what Carole meant by that gut-wrenching feeling.
So the sisters did it – however it felt to them – and their book is in the final stage of editing.
What if Your Story was Movie-Worthy?
Recently their editor told them they have the makings of a great book….and a fabulous movie! WHAT??? Then she asked, “Who do you want to play you in the movie?” Wow! What a fascinating question!
When I got off the call, I thought about it. Who would play ME? My backstory has a bunch of good stuff: abuse, alcoholism, mental illness, and my “always be a good girl” response to all of it….until I turned the page to a new chapter – a section break – to a different attitude and lifestyle – one that made me healthier and happier. So I kept thinking…who would play me? And why would I choose her?
If you had to pick a celebrity to portray your life story, who would you pick?
I looked at today’s top female leads…and, of course, in my story, she’d be the lead. After all, as Arthur said to Iris in the Christmas movie, The Holiday, “we have leading ladies and we have the best friend. You, I can tell, are a leading lady, but for some reason, you’re behaving like the best friend.” I definitely want to be the leading lady of my life! So I started googling…
Hmmm….It was a fun mental exercise to look around at some of my favorites. Meryl Streep is older, Nicole Kidman isn’t Reubenesque enough (actually not at all!), Charlize Theron is so sophisticated; Sandra Bullock is more earthy than me…and maybe too pretty for the part, Melissa McCarthy is way funnier than I’ll ever be.
I finally made my pick – a woman who has an ethnic background, worked hard and is still working hard, has a steely determination…and OMG, her mother is amazing…and could play the older me in the movie. Can you guess who it is?
HERE’S THE POINT:
Women’s History Month is about Women Like YOU!
March is Women’s History Month. It’s not a month just about women in some old history book. It’s about YOU – your history – YOUR STORY.
During this month of celebrating women, why not jot down some of your own history, tell your story. You don’t have to make it a memoir for the world to see, or even share it with anyone at all. Just take some time to reflect on the life you’ve lived. Have you been the leading lady or the best friend? What do you want to do differently to change your story for the future?
Then, when you’ve thought about that, figure out who would play you in the movie of your life. Have hysterically historical fun with it!
WANT TO MEET THE SISTERS?
If you want to meet Carole, Sue, and Kathy – and find out who they want to play them in the movie, come to this year’s Girlfriend Gala – they are my featured speakers! And a Girlfrienid favortie, Theresa Hummel Krallinger, is coming back to share some covid humor…and we are all ready to have some fun with that subject, ain’t we?!?It’s May 25, 2020, 5:30-9pm at Penn Oaks Golf Club in West Chester PA Register here: Girlfriend Gala
Happy St. Patrick’s Day!
With love and in victory,
Annmarie
BTW: You might have noticed that I’ve been doing a lot of interviews lately about Five-Year Marriage. I did this one with LaurieAnn (who lives in Mississauga Ontario, Canada) and Roy (living in Texas USA) on the Lift Your Story Podcast. They invited me to join them because they loved my story…and I was glad to be their guest. They were fun and I enjoyed our off-air conversations as much as I enjoyed being with them on-air – especially Laurie, who thinks a Five-Year Marriage would have either prevented a divorce or stopped her from getting married to the man in the first place. Take a listen: Lift Your Story
