A Thing of Beauty

Edith Wharton once said, ~A classic is classic not because it confirms to certain structural rules or fits certain definitions(of which its author had quite probably never heard). It is a classic because of a certain eternal and irrepressible freshness.~ Let me ask you this question, in your own mind what do you consider a classic. Essentially, one of the definitions of a classic is having lasting significance or worth; enduring. For its a person, place, place or thing that stands the test of time and can be considered meaningful to some, most, or all people. I can safely say probably each and every one of you have already thought of something that is a classic and if you can't then you're thinking too hard.

When you talk about a classic, there are a plethora of reading material that we all have read in school growing up and in college as well. Curious George, Lord Of The Rings, Romeo and Juliet, The Scarlet Letter, Huckleberry Finn, etc. are just a handful of works that were written by established writers such as Margret Rey, J.R.R. Tokein, William Shakespeare, Nathaniel Hawthorne, and Samuel Clemens aka Mark Twain. For its not only the books we read, but the poetry that was written as well by such linguistic writers such as E.E. Cummings, Edgar Allen Poe, Walt Whitman, Emily Dickinson and Ralph Waldo Emerson who is my personal favorite because I tend to use his quotes and/or poems in my yodaisms from time to time. Out of curiosity, who is your favorite writer/poet and what are your favorite works to read from him or her?

If you think about it, classic and cars go hand in hand like maple syrup to a stack full of pancakes. Guys, more so than women, appreciate classic cars and will spend countless hours, as well as, money to build/restore classic cars. Actor/Comedian/Tonight Show host Jay Leno has a warehouse full of classic vintage cars that he collects which to my knowledge is over a thousand but I could be wrong. For those who live in California, particularly in the Los Angeles area, you probably have seen him drive around in his cars such as a 1933 Roadster, a 1959 Chevy Corvette, and the list goes on and on. Personally speaking, the one car that I dreamed of owning one day would be a 1967 Ford Mustang with original interior, but have the sound system updated and pimped out.

Without a doubt, each of us grew up watching classic Disney movies such as The Jungle Book, Dumbo, Alice In Wonderland, Snow White, and Cinderella. What made Cinderella a classic is that every little girl wanted to be like her and dreamed that one day her prince charming would come holding that proverbial glass slipper in his hand. As a guy, in a metaphorical sense, I'm holding that glass slipper to put on that special someone's foot. Anyways, within those animated feature were classic songs that we all loved, still loved today, and probably sang along with. For the question can be asked, what Disney animated movie and song still gets to you emotionally even though you are grown up, which for me is The Jungle Book and The Bear Necessities.

In retrospect, there are many things that are considered classics such as the classic Christmas movie It's A Wonderful Life or the classic 1939 film which won 8 Oscars Gone With The Wind. Yet, within every classic movie there are classy actors such as Jimmy Stewart, Fred Astaire, Bob Hope, James Cagney, Clark Gable, etc. and for the classy actresses they are Katharine Hepburn, Lucille Ball, Grace Kelly, Bette Davis, Judy Garland, etc. For the most part, you have to appreciate the styles, movies, songs, cars, and people that personify the word class or classic. Ultimately, the classics never really go out of style, grow old, or even get boring because in the end, they can be considered a thing of beauty.