An Open Letter to Clint Eastwood

Dear Mr. Eastwood:

I bumped into you once. Literally. Outside an art gallery in Carmel with George Rodrigue paintings that I wanted to see. You were much taller and much thinner in real life than you looked on screen.

It was cool being able to say I bumped into Clint Eastwood.

You went on with your life, thankfully, but I've often wondered if I jostled some sort of darkness loose in you. You began to make some beautiful, but incredibly dark and tragic movies.

I tried to like them just for their art, because they are unquestionably great art, but a girl can only take so many snapped necks, and wronged women and on and on and on.

Don't get me wrong - I love dark art. My favorite authors are Orwell and Hardy and Dostoevsky. I love Edward Gorey and Tim Burton.

But honey - these movies are DARK. You gotta cheer yourself UP with Dostoevsky after Million Dollar Baby or Unforgiven.

I've wanted to send you some Calvin and Hobbes, or maybe a calendar with pictures of bunnies on it, just in hopes of lightening you up a tad.

And then I watched Invictus last night.

What a spectacular, sunny and inspiring movie that was. The music was so beautiful. You even took the two potentially Eastwood scary moments and made them charming and funny. I didn't have to cover my face even one time, and I could sleep after it was over.

Clint, my friend - I do believe you have a blue sky somewhere inside that lanky frame. Thanks for letting us see a bit of it.

Love, Lydia

Stamps: Four Frames, Silhouette Sentiments Ink: Basic Black, Poppy Parade, Cool Caribbean, Kiwi Kiss 

Paper: Whisper White Accessories: Decorative Label Punch, Sponge, Blender pen

Happy Father's Day to Clint Eastwood, my dad, brother, inlaws and all you other dads and accomplished actors, directors and people I've bumped into in another life...