M*A*S*H

ByHeather

Know this. You can cut me off from the civilized world. You can incarcerate me with two moronic cellmates. You can torture me with your thrice-daily swill. But you cannot break the spirit of a Winchester. My voice shall be heard from this wilderness, and I shall be delivered from this fetid and festering sewer.

— Charles Emerson Winchester, III

I became a giant fan of M*A*S*H during my undergraduate years in college. By the time I tuned in the show had been on the air for many seasons and had found its stride. Each night the dorm lounge would fill up with fans as we all partook of the syndicated re-runs punctuated once a week with a fresh fix. The writing was superb, the acting a joy to watch. The storylines were moving and yet funny. It seems like every character was my favorite. I have seen each episode so many times I can recite the entire plot line within seconds of seeing the opening sequence.

The quote above from Charles Emerson Winchester is one of my favorites. Charles has just arrived at the 4077th after being tricked into staying in Korea. Needless to say he is not adjusting well. When he realizes that his posh connections may not get him out of Korea he summons his dignity and delivers his soliloquy with panache and pride. I think it is the way he cocks his head and turns at the end that cemented my love for his character. I couldn’t find a clip on You Tube but the scene occurs in the first episode of season six if you ever get the chance to watch the show.

All of the characters on M*A*S*H were brilliant at what they did. (Well okay, almost everyone. Frank Burns left a little to be desired in the capabilities department.) I think I like the show so much because it portrays a team of highly talented people trapped in an undesirable place doing important work. Maybe the fact that I was living in Indiana at the time had something to do with my affinity for the show.

Similar Posts

  • Government

    ByHeather

    Suppose you were an idiot and suppose you were a member of Congress. But I repeat myself.

    — Mark Twain

    As I watched the latest meltdown from the latest cabinet confirmations I can’t help but think that Mark Twain may have been on to something in his assessment of people who run for political office.

    It has been obvious to me for a long time that congress is broken. I couldn’t quite articulate exactly how I thought it was broken but I knew something was wrong. And then I discovered Lawrence Lessig’s latest mission. Partnering with Joe Trippi, he is determined to change congress. He makes a powerful case that lobbying and special interests have eroded the very foundations of the constitution.

  • Influence

    ByHeather

    You have not converted a man because you have silenced him.

    — John Morley

    How many times have I wished that I had this pithy little quote on a card in my purse, ready to be handed to a belligerent blowhard, or an incessant evangelist, on a moment’s notice?

  • Rainy Sunday Afternoons

    ByHeather

    Millions long for immortality who don’t know what to do with themselves on a rainy Sunday afternoon.

    — Susan Ertz, Anger in the Sky

    I have to admit that I am puzzled by people who claim to be easily bored. I can’t recall ever being bored. Granted, I am an introvert, which may explain why I have not lived an over-active life. I have always had a long queue of interests that manage to keep my mind occupied. I grew up in the country. The vast countryside was my backyard and my siblings and I always had something to do. As I grew older I discovered books and the world of ideas. Again, no shortage of things to do on a Sunday afternoon.

  • Just Be

    ByHeather

    Sometimes the best thing we can do is to stop “doing” and just be. You don’t have to “be” anything. We don’t have to “be” quiet, or productive, or useful, or nice. Just be.

    In his brilliant album that gave music and lyrics to Richard Bach’s Jonathan Livingston Seagull, Neil Diamond wrote:

    Be, as a page that aches for a word that speaks on a theme that is timeless.

  • Persistence

    ByHeather

    Nothing in the world can take the place of persistence.
    Talent will not; nothing is more common
    than unsuccessful men with talent.
    Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb.
    Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts.
    Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent.

    — Calvin Coolidge

    This is one of my all-time favorite quotes. I have committed it to memory at various times in my life and had it posted on the wall of my office on many occasions.

    I am a firm believer that the tortoise always wins the race in the end. Every worthwhile journey is long and arduous. Determination and persistence compel me to continue to put one foot in front of the other and trod on.

  • The Illusion of Knowledge

    ByHeather

    The greatest obstacle to discovering the shape of the earth, the continents and the ocean was not ignorance but the illusion of knowledge.

    — Daniel Boorstin

    To really appreciate the profundity of this quote you have to think back to Galileo (1564 – 1642) and his epic battle with the Roman Catholic church over the nature of our solar system. Although Copernicus (1473 – 1543) had developed the heliocentric theory a hundred years earlier, the “prevailing wisdom” maintained that the earth was at rest at the center of the universe while the sun and the planets revolved around it.

    But Galileo had a telescope — and became convinced that Copernicus was right. He championed the sun-centric “theory” at great personal risk. He was declared a heretic, forced to recant, and spent the last years of his life under house arrest. The church did not lift its ban on the general prohibition against works advocating heliocentrism until 1758.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.