AFI 100 Lines

Did you catch the American Film Institutes top 100 list of all-time greatest movie lines on CBS this past week? AFI is the group that keeps making all these top 100 movie lists. Ratings must be good cause they keep making more shows. (I'll report on my favorite movies of all-time in later posts.)

I only saw numbers 38 down to 1 because Michelle and I were helping our friends John and Lisa move. I think #38 was the line "I'll have what she's having," -- that funny line from "When Harry Met Sally" spoken after Meg Ryan's famous scene in the diner. The top line was from "Gone with the Wind," the "Frankly, my dear ..." words from Rhett to Scarlett.

I was commenting to Michelle during the show that I don't remember movie lines very well. Some of my friends can quote whole scenes from films. I can't quote much of anything from even my favorite films. But as I watched the show, sure enough, I knew just about every line they featured, even if I never saw the movie.

It got me to thinking about how important words are, and how we tend to remember them even after we've forgotten the context in which they've been used.

I'm a word guy. I like to write, like to speak, like to read. Intellectually I know that words have staying power and that they should be chosen carefully. But I'm also pretty stupid and naive, and don't always think before I speak/write. (When is mankind going to invent an editor that deciphers your words before they come out of your mouth, and change them before they make a fool of you?)

I've said a lot of things I wish I could take back. One of those times was a letter I sent to my friend Matt, who was the minister at the Waterloo church of Christ a few years back. Matt left Waterloo to go plant a church in Oregon, and left his position in Waterloo under less than ideal circumstances. While serving with him, Matt and I went through a lot in a short period of time. And when he left, I gave him some criticism I thought at the time was constructive, but probably really wasn't.

This coming week Matt and his family are coming through Iowa and we'll get to visit. I'm looking forward to seeing him and asking for some forgiveness (and guilt relief). Matt, if you're reading, see you soon.