Lucy became one of my favorite figures because of her television show. Then she reinforced everything I thought I knew and felt about her with her autobiography. On the show, I saw a woman who despite being a 1950s housewife, was her own person. Lucy was silly, creative and defiant. In real life, Ms. Ball was courageous, a trailblazer, and someone who never gave up. Whether on stage or in real life, these qualities were presented to me in a manner which I whole heartedly responded to. They made me love and appreciate her for more than just the comedy.
By the time I hit the sixth grade I had seen every episode of I Love Lucy at least a dozen times. Sometime during that school year I discovered Ms. Ball's autobiography on one of my family's frequent Saturday morning trips to the bookstore. My dad bought the book for me and I brought it with me to school for our afternoon reading time. I devoured and mastered as much of the material as my 12 year old brain could absorb. Later, in my junior year of high school I used it as the source for my history book report. What could be better than a book about one of the most famous Americans of all time, who discussed Old Hollywood, unions, the Red Scare and of course one of the most popular television shows of all time? As far as I was concerned it had a wonderful combination of American and cultural history. My teacher disagreed with me and told me I could have made a better book selection. (He clearly never read Love, Lucy.) I got a "B" on that paper.
Through the years I've continued to love, memorize and learn from the show. My sister and I committed the famous Vitameatavegimin speech to memory. We can decipher which episode is on air after only a few seconds. I learned my first few words of french, spanish vowel sounds and the difference between the bow and stern of a boat from the series. (I also learned not to exchange my dollars for francs on the streets of Paris. Always use the American Express office instead, so as to avoid the risk of getting arrested for counterfeit!)
So today on her 100th birthday, I want to shout out a big thanks for the lessons, comfort, and many laughs that Lucille Ball has given me.
My favorite I Love Lucy episodes include:
Pioneer Women
Women from Mars
Lucy dancing with Van Johnson
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