The Daily Times

Ever since I saw the trailer a couple of months ago, I’ve been dying to see “The Iron Lady.”

The movie stars Meryl Streep as former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, who served from 1979 to 1990. Thatcher held two high honors: She was the first female prime minister in the West and Britain’s longest-serving PM of the 20th century.

While impressive feats, they’re not what drew me into the trailer. After all, I’m not exactly an Anglophile.

To be honest, it was one simple quote: “With all due respect sir, I have done battle, every single day of my life.”

I wish it was something more profound or political that drew me into this tale — but it’s really not. I’d give a little fist bump every time Streep uttered the line.

You could say it’s become my battle cry.

In the film, Thatcher utters the line to U.S. Secretary of State Alexander Haig, who questioned her knowledge of war. Thatcher is determined to fight Argentina and reclaim the Falkland Islands.

In seeing the trailer, though, I didn’t know why Thatcher uttered those words, and I didn’t need to. They were strong and empowering, and that’s all I needed.

I’d told BFG the first time we saw the trailer that TIL was a must-see for me, although I was pretty certain it wasn’t on his list of movies to watch. But being the agreeable sort he is, he said we’d check it out.

Each time I saw the trailer, my excitement grew. It wasn’t because I’m a Thatcher fan or even a feminist ready to see a woman in charge. No, there was some chord it struck deep down in me.

I’d grown up around strong females. My mom is one of the strongest women I’ve ever known. My Granny, too. I learned from an early age that a woman can be strong and do what needs to be done. It wasn’t that my Granddaddy didn’t do his part. Their love story was a partnership, completely.

And with their help, Mom managed to raise two kids on her own while working and going to school. It wasn’t easy, but she did it all.

My upbringing has taught me a simple truth: People are strong enough to face life on their own, but it’s nice to have a little help. You can think of it as the gender politics equivalent of Theodore Roosevelt’s “Speak softly and carry a big stick.”

So admittedly, I’m not a strong feminist. We deserve equality, but I’m not going to fuss if a man doesn’t open the door for me. After all, I might get to it first.

Streep’s Thatcher appears to exhibit the same philosophy.

So even though the “The Iron Lady” wasn’t the best film I’d ever seen, I still enjoyed it.

As I drove home, I realized even if you weren’t a Thatcher fan, the woman was still to be admired. She was strong and steadfast, doing what she thought was right. And cheesy as some of it might have been, there was a quote in the movie that I think we should all apply to life:

“Watch your thoughts for they become words. Watch your words for they become actions. Watch your actions for they become ... habits. Watch your habits, for they become your character. And watch your character, for it becomes your destiny! What we think we become.”

I’m working on the CliffsNotes version for some coworkers.

Amanda Greever is assistant managing editor for print at The Daily Times. She writes a weekly column in the Sunday Life section. She can be reached at 981-1161 or (amanda.greever@thedailytimes.com) Follow her on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com _editor.

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