“Can you see the sunset from the South side real good?”
”Yeah, real good.”
”You can see it from the North side too.”
- Ponyboy Curtis and Cherry Valance, The Outsiders
I’ve always been fascinated with the novel The Outsiders by S. E. Hinton and the 1983 cult-classic movie remains one of my all time favorites.
Quotes from the book often just pop into my mind and somehow seem revelant to many situations, decisions, and experiences I come across from day to day.
My ‘lipstick’ necklace is from Target and available here.
It only takes the opening notes of Stevie Wonder’s Stay Gold to lift my spirits and help me remember how simple and yet amazing every day really can be.
It’s always a new opportunity to take what you’ve been given and do your part to make a difference.
“It might come as a surprise, but things are rough all over.”
-Cherry Vallance to Dallas Winston
Sometimes we all get caught up in our own daily problems and disappointments and we neglect to see that everyone has some sort of challenges or misfortune. We don’t need to solve everything for everyone but we can do our part however we can.
Sometimes it just means listening and being there for them without judging and sometimes it just means giving them time and space to find their own peace.
I still believe in the power of a smile and a kind word. I will always believe that it’s better to leave people better than you found them. It’s so much better to be the one that smiled first than to be the one that didn’t smile back.
Compassion is such a powerful theme throughout The Outsiders and although you may not ever know what it’s like to be faced with a certain hardship or situation someone else is going through, you can always be considerate and mindful of their feelings.
My jacket is from Target. I’ve worn it so often and blogged about it on this post.
Stevie Wonder wrote:
”But can it be...when we can see
So vividly a memory
And yes you say so must the day
To fade away
And leave a ray of sun
So gold”
”Life...is but a twinkling of an eye
Yet filled with sorrow and compassion
Though not imagined all things that happen
Will age too old
Though gold “
“Stay gold.”
“Stay Gold” is a reference to the Robert Frost poem that Ponyboy recites to Johnny when the two hide out in Windrixville Church. One line in the poem reads, “Nothing gold can stay,” meaning all good things must come to an end.
When I hear the Stevie Wonder song, or think about Ponyboy and Johnny, I don’t think about good things ending.
I think about how important it is to appreciate all that is good. I think about the things in life that symbolize gold, and it reminds me to keep focused on the things that are real. The gold in someone’s heart when they accept you for who you are is not to be taken for granted.
To me, to stay gold is to stay true to yourself and to realize although things change and may not remain the way you always thought they would, they can be better than you ever imagined if you appreciate what you have, embrace the changes, and do your part to be that ‘ray of sun,’ for those around you.
I found my shoes and bag at Macy’s recently during a major sale. The entire outfit ( dress, shoes, and bag ) were all at extremely low clearance markdown prices!
Thank you so much for taking the time to visit the blog. Your time and attention is greatly appreciated and any feedback at all is welcome.
I’d love to connect further so feel free to leave me a comment, email, or even a link if you have something you would like to share. I will definitely get back to you in a timely fashion.
Yours truly,
Jennifer
”You still have a lot of time to make yourself be what you want. There’s still a lot of good in the world.”
-S.E. Hinton, The Outsiders
PS. Here’s a great, simple, and delicious recipe for a cherry smoothie-
Ingredients:
2 cups frozen cherries
1 ripe banana
1 1/2 cups juice ( cherry, cranberry, apple, or white grape)
3/4 cup Greek yogurt
fresh cherries and mint sprigs for garnish
Steps:
1. Place the juice, banana, cherries, and yogurt in a blender.
2. Blend until completely smooth.
3. Pour into 2 glasses and serve, topped with fresh cherries and mint sprigs if desired.
