One of my goals in designing and/or renovating my abode is the creation of thematic rooms. For instance, the estate library could be dedicated to Prospero --- he of Books fame --- or a child's room could be dedicated to Winnie the Pooh or perhaps Peter Rabbit --- not that I actually have any children, mind you, only nieces, nephews and god-children.
(By the way, I do hope "they" aren't going to muck up my beloved Beatrix Potter with this upcoming big-time Hollywood movie.)
Creating a thematic room/s allows one to commemorate an event or milestone; pay homage to important people, places or issues; and/or give in to the nostalgia of past eras (among other things). So, I keep a little list that is updated constantly with themes and ideas that are important to me, as a starting point for the interior design of my home.
I say all this apropos of.... I simply must have a "The Little Prince" room somewhere in my home. This is not negotiable. Not only am I fairly fanatical about aviation (including space flight) and all manner of flying machines, but the story itself has been dear to my heart since my early childhood.
As a wee tot, I found a rather battered old copy in a thrift store, it was in French, of course, though I did not know it at the time. I was simply fascinated by its whimsical illustrations. My mother, who always encouraged me to read everything, purchased the book for me. Luckily it was not expensive, being somewhat of an oddity (a foreign language book in a small Southern town's generic thrift store). And eventually, as I became more and more curious as to what the words meant, I would use it as a lexicon to begin learning the French language. Self-taught, of course.
As a wee tot, I found a rather battered old copy in a thrift store, it was in French, of course, though I did not know it at the time. I was simply fascinated by its whimsical illustrations. My mother, who always encouraged me to read everything, purchased the book for me. Luckily it was not expensive, being somewhat of an oddity (a foreign language book in a small Southern town's generic thrift store). And eventually, as I became more and more curious as to what the words meant, I would use it as a lexicon to begin learning the French language. Self-taught, of course.
Oh, I butchered the language, no doubt. I was only about 4 or 5 years old at most, but it was a grand adventure, a magical journey that would inform upon my budding love of language, of engineering and of exploring new things and other places. It is an understatement to say the tale of The Little Prince occupies a special place in my heart.
Thank you, dear Antoine de Saint-Exupéry. Je vous remercie.
(And no, I haven't yet seen the updated, animated version of The Little Prince [Netflix 2016], because I am wary of being greatly disappointed by it. I have, however, heard good things about it and I've read a few "the making of" type articles regarding it. I will see it at some point, once I've sufficiently shored up my childhood memories....)
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