Last night after dinner, I settled down with the book How Starbucks Saved My Life, a recent autobiography by a former high-powered advertising executive who, at age 63, was forced to take a job at a Manhattan Starbucks, mostly for the health benefits. I’m about 1/4 of the way through his cute fish-outta-water story, but it’s not kindling my inner insatiable reader. I do like the author’s descriptions of his new humble life at Starbucks, and how he went from a ‘Master of the Universe’ to cleaning toilets and fetching pastries, but he frequently indulges in tedious, lengthy reminiscences of his youth. Like “I was nervous for my first day at Starbucks, oh! that reminds me of my first day of school 55 years ago! I liked how my boss talked to me, oh! that reminds me of my 6th grade teacher who once invited me to her house for tea and who I saw at the DMV years later!” I hate to stereotype about People of a Certain Age, but once they sense they have someone’s ear… they milk it.
So I was so ready to be distracted by the unfamiliar noise emanating from the living room. What is that noise? Oh, the television.
I lazily padded into the living room and glanced at the TV, which was showing something from the 70s, judging by the character’s garish fashion sense and the equally-garish quality of film.
“What are you watching” I asked Mr. P.
“It’s called ‘Inspector Harry,'” Mr. P said, with a flourish of enjoyment. “I used to love these movies.”
“‘Inspector Harry?'” I focused on the television and saw a grizzled Clint Eastwood having terse words with a mustachioed man in a suit.
“Do you mean, um –” and here I started shaking with mute mirth. “Do you mean ‘Dirty Harry?'” And then I exploded in giggles.
“DIRTY Harry!” Mr. P exclaimed, snapping his finger. “That’s it!”
I laughed for about 2 minutes. Mr. P thought my reaction was rather excessive, but he probably wasn’t imagining how Clint Eastwood’s legacy would be vastly different had the movie been called “Inspector Harry.” And for sure he wasn’t imagining a hybrid of the infinately catchy “Inspector Gadget” theme song and Dirty Harry: “Duh-duh-duh-duh-da! Inspector Harry! Duh-duh-duh-duh-da! Woo-woo!”
