Fun & Famous

9 Life Lessons from Downton Abbey

I was completely into it and was totally hooked. Downton Abbey. I interrupted phone calls for it, feigned an upcoming flu to get out of a dinner, and thought it was a great plan if my girls wanted to wander around in pajamas all Sunday. Anything to watch one more episode of Downton Abbey.

My addiction took serious forms (if you want to read how to stop binge-watching series you should this read). My children danced along (fortunately, there aren't many steamy sex and violence scenes in Downton, so watching together goes a lot better than with Penoza, which I was also seriously hooked on, read here but) and I categorized people I met into Downton characters. She is a typical Lady Mary, typically an Anna Bates, and when my hair was styled a certain way, I felt just like a daughter of Mrs. Crawley.

But now I have finished Downton and I fall into a Downton-less void. There's nothing to do but wait for season 7 and as the dowager would say; ‘You’re a woman with a brain and reasonable ability so stop whining and find yourself something to do.’

In the meantime, I keep myself afloat with her brilliant quotes, because they come in handy in every situation.

1. “Principes zijn als gebeden. Eerzaam natuurlijk, maar ongemakkelijk op een feestje.”

2. – “Wil je dat ik lieg?”

– “Liegen is zo'n onmuzikaal woord.”

3. “Wat is een weekend?”

4. “Je kent me… Nooit klagen. Nooit uitleggen.”

5.   – “Hoe je het haat om ongelijk te hebben.”

–  “Dat weet ik niet… Ik ben niet bekend met dat gevoel.”

6. “Ik ben een vrouw. Ik kan zo tegenstrijdig zijn als ik wil.”

7. “Je vleit me… En dat is precies zoals het zou moeten zijn.”

8. – “Ik beschouw dat als een compliment.”

– “Dan moet ik het verkeerd hebben gezegd.”