The Help

I was raised in Southwest Louisiana.  I was a child of the 70's.  We did not have "help" in our home. We did, however have a house keeper that came every Wednesday.  Her name was Stella. She was the crankiest, funniest, loudest woman I think, as a child, I had ever met and I adored her! I was a latch-key kid and my school was only a block from home. I have memories of being ecstatic every Wednesday afternoon when the bell rang because I knew who would be there! Like the consistancy of clock work.. every Wednesday I would fling open the storm door just in time to hear Stella holler "Don'tchu go runnin thru that kitchen girl!! I just mopped!"  I would just giggle to myself because she said the same. exact. thing. every. single. Wednesday. as if I some how could forget!!
Well, one thundery, rainy Wednesday, I ran home as fast as I could. I flung  that storm door open, torn into the house and headed STRAIGHT.. INTO.. THE KITCHEN!  I went saaaiiillliingg across that freshly mopped floor flat on my 10 year old back!!!

As I read The Help, I laughed, I cried, and my inner child secretly longed for the kind of love I felt from my Stella. Even tho she was just our "once a week house keeper" and she hollered and fussed at me any chance she got.. I somehow felt loved. And the love we all shared for Stella was well known to her  :)

Though I am eager to see this movie (really, really eager), I am a little reluctant because after reading this incredible tell tale account of living in the deep south {with The Help}, I have my characters all worked out in my head. What they look like, sound like... and as far as children go, even smell like. So as I grapple with this little issue of mine, tell me... Have you read the book? Have you seen the movie? Did you have a Stella growing up??