Stranger Than Fiction

In my mind, the movie Stranger Than Fiction is one of those rare masterpieces. It isn't an Oscar winning film or a box-office hit, not an amazing true story or a political statement about a global issue, but for some reason this movie breaks my heart and makes a special list of movies for me. I just watched this film and I absolutely love it because I think that this is a movie about everyone and is completely true. It is about a man who continues to just go through the motions in his life. Every day he wakes up and does the exact same thing and takes the exact same bus at the exact same time every day to his job as an IRS agent and goes home at the exact same time and goes to sleep at the exact same time by himself every day. He doesn't actually live his life, he is simply following a path that would allow him to live a normal life and die at an old age of a normal cause as a normal person. However, that is simply not good enough, at least it isn't for me and it shouldn't be for anybody else. Life is much too short to be going through the motions and not actually getting to live. In the words of Braveheart, "every man dies, but not every man really lives". And that is just so true because it is inevitable that you will die, but you do not know when and you do not where and you certainly do not know how. Some people will die young which is horrible and incredibly sad but they will have lived their lives to the fullest and had no regrets because they didn't just go with the flow or along the easiest path, they went against it and perhaps a little off course and they lived and they loved and they enjoyed their life. And some people will die extremely old and they will not have lived at all. They will have had more literal and realistic experience but truthfully that young teenager who really lived their life had more experience than this elderly person could ever imagine and they will die alone and unhappy and full of regrets. They may have been successful with lots of money and a great job living what they think is a great life and been with lots of beautiful women or men in their life but when it comes down to those last few breaths and you suddenly realize that death is knockin on your freaken door, none of that matters. The only thing that will matter are your memories and your experiences and the people that surround you that love you. It sounds cheezy but that's what life is, that's all it is and until you realize that you will be stuck going through the motions.

The reason that I show the lyrics before I show the video is because when I heard this song my initial reaction was; this is a really catchy tune and sounds like a pretty good song and clearly it has a good meaning because of the chorus. But, sometimes people, such as myself, forget that a song that is upbeat or not completely mellow can also have an impacting message and be very powerful, possibly more impacting than a slow song based on the listener.

Jumper by Third Eye Blind
I wish you would step back from that ledge my friend,
You could cut ties with all the lies,
That you've been living in,
And if you do not want to see me again,
I would understand.
I would understand.

The angry boy,
A bit too insane,
Icing over a secret pain
You know you don't belong.

You're the first to fight,
You're way too loud,
You're The flash of light,
On a burial shroud,
I know something's wrong

Well everyone I know has got a reason,
To say,
Put the past away

I wish you would step back from that ledge my friend,
You could cut ties with all the lies,
That you've been living in,
And if you do not want to see me again,
I would understand,
I would understand.
[ Lyrics from: http://www.lyricsfreak.com/t/third+eye+blind/jumper_20136738.html ]
And well he's on the table,
And he's gone to code,
And I do not think anyone knows,
What they are doing here,

And your friends have left you,
You've been dismissed.
I never thought it would come to this,
And I, I want you to know

Everyone's got to face down the demons,
Maybe today,
We can put the past away,

I wish you would step back from that ledge my friend.
You could cut ties with all the lies,
That you've been living in,
And if you do not want to see me again,
I would understand,
I would understand,
I would understand...

(I would understand)
(I would understand)
(Understand)

Ya ya ya ya ya...

Can you put the past away?

I wish you would step back from that ledge my friend,
I would understand

(I wish you would step back from that ledge my friend, )
I would understand
(I wish you would step back from that ledge my friend, )
And I would understand
(X2)

Seconds

My dad and I every now and then will watch a you tube video, which leads to another and another and before we know it we have been watching videos for hours. It may not seem that interesting, but it really is, it's amazing what kind of videos you can find. Many people only use you tube to find hilarious videos, but there are actually some very powerful videos on you tube. One of which is this one. This was one of the videos that my father and I came across and we both agreed that it was very impacting. You never really think that one simple action can change your whole life, like deciding whether or not to make a move on a girl. This video makes you think about the chances that you don't take that you may regret. We have all had that moment; trying to decide whether or not to do something and then you finally decide not take a chance and in the end you regret and you missed your opportunity. I believe this video is saying; don't over think stuff, I personally have a lot of trouble with this idea, I over think stuff incredibly to the point where I just confuse myself. Now I do take risks and chances, however, I think through those choices before doing them. Sometimes you just need to take a leap of faith and take a chance, because you never know, that chance may change your whole life. Or, you can decide not to take that chance and go on the safer path and possibly wonder the rest of your life; what if?

Some good in this world...

I love the Lord of the Rings trilogy. One of the things that I love about these movies is the tragedy in it. I really like movies that have an end-of-the-world theme or apocalyptic. These type of movies seem to bring the best out of the characters in the worst situations. As you can see in this clip, that the world seems to be falling apart around Froto and Sam. As this has brought the worst out of Frodo, it brings the best out of Sam. Sam gives one of the best speeches about humanity that I ever seen in a movie and I have seen quite a few. Amongst all of this tragedy Sam is still able to see that "there is some good in the world and it's worth fighting for" and I think this is a moral that civilisation should follow. This is a fantasy story, but the lessons and morals are useful in real life, it's your simple story of good vs. evil. In our world there is tragedy all around us; we have war, natural disasters destroying homes and lives, mass poverty and hunger, people killing other people, diseases taking lives, mass slaughterings of human beings... However, in all of this catastrophe I truly believe there is still some good in this world. I believe that there are aspects of our screwed up world that are still worth fighting for.

Sacrifice

This is the movie The Guardian, a fantastic film about  the coast guards, but more importantly about life and death, not giving up, and the past that haunts us. The movie as a whole is really good, but this last scene I found so impacting. I don't think that there is any background needed, but I'll just give a short synopsis: they are both United States Coast Guards, the older one taught the other in training, they originally disliked each other very much, but grew to become close friends. After rescuing stranded sailors on a ship they are about to leave. In this situation I would consider the older man, Kevin Costner, a Christ figure. Simply put; a Christ figure is a person or character who parallels Jesus Christ. In this instance he is a Christ figure because he is sacrificing himself so that someone else may live, as Jesus Christ did. Other movies that show this are; Gran Torino, Matrix Trilogy, and The Lion King. I find any movie where someone sacrifices their life so impacting, especially when it's a good movie to begin with like this one. It's an odd thing to think about, sacrificing yourself so that someone else may live, to wonder if you could actually have the will to do something like that. It's very possible to think you could do that for someone you love, but what about someone you don't even know? Now that's a scary thought. I personally want to think that if the situation called for it, that I could do such a heroic/Christ-like thing and sacrifice myself so someone else may have the chance to live, whether I loved them, knew them, or never even met them.

About Today...

I want to start off by saying that I love this movie. I rented it thinking it was going to be a good action movie seeing as it's about UFC fighting and was a great action movie with lots of amazing fight scenes and guys getting the crap kicked out of them, but it was so much more than that. As you can see by this video that this wasn't your typical fighting/action movie where the underdog comes in and wins everything and gets the girl... that is exactly what happens but with a completely different and deeper message. These two men fighting are brothers who have been distant for many years and not spoken, with bitterness and anger they go into the championship match of this Ultimate Fighting tournament. The dominant fighter continues to apologize to his brother for abandoning him many years ago, but the only thing that brings this troubled fighter to peace is hearing his brother say, "I love you Tommy", and the brother taps. The tap is like the brother saying I forgive you. So you can watch this movie and come out of it thinking that it is a great fighting movie with some intense scenes and thats great because it is true. Or you can be like me, knowing this was a great action movie but recognizing it has a greater message than any fight scene can give; the message of love and forgiveness between two brothers.

Mother Teresa

“People are often unreasonable and self-centered.
Forgive them anyway.
If you are kind, people may accuse you of ulterior motives.
Be kind anyway.
If you are honest, people may cheat you.
Be honest anyway.
If you find happiness, people may be jealous.
Be happy anyway.
The good you do today may be forgotten tomorrow.
Do good anyway.
Give the world the best you have and it may never be enough.
Give your best anyway.”
~Mother Teresa


" We ourselves feel that what we are doing is just a drop in the ocean. But the ocean would be less because of that missing drop."- Mother Teresa


"If you can't feed a hundred people, then feed just one."- Mother Teresa

"Spread love everywhere you go, let no one ever come to you without leaving happier." - Mother Teresa

God and Art

“Art is a collaboration between God and the artist, and the less the artist does the better.” ~Andre Gide

" Winning or Losing, Living or Dying"

I can remember sitting in our dressing room in high school before a football game and we would have this speech replaying over and over. I am not a huge fan of Al Pacino, I won't deny that he is a classic actor, however, I think he is amazing while giving this speech to his football team during half time when they are losing. Football isn't quite as big as it is in the States as he's comparing playing football to how they live thier lives. But, I do agree with this speech that if you give up in something like a football game, whats gonna stop you from giving up in life? That sounds pretty deep and that wasn't really what was a going for, nonetheless it is a great video and I do believe it can pertain to real life.

Father and Son

 

I searched impacting images on the web and this was one of photos that came up. It is a photograph of a father kneeling with his hand on his sons name in memory of him because he died in the 9/11 attack on the twin towers. I think this image speaks volumes. An elderly man, dressed nicely in a suit, among busy New York City this man is on his knees remembering his lost son. I realize it was possibly planned, but nonetheless it is a powerful picture.

I Dare You To Move...

This song seems to be one of those songs that can have many meanings and significances. For instance, because the band who wrote and sings this song, Switchfoot, is Christian, it can clearly be seen as a Christian song. I have heard it in several places as a Christian song such as, in the movie To Save A Life, which I highly recommend. But, I have also seen it in secular places as well, which I happen to like about this song because than it not only impacts Christian people, but non-Christians as well.

The Power of a Song

I have heard this song many times and I have always thought it was a good song because I love country. But, I heard it on the radio about a month ago and for the first time I actually listened to the lyrics... I never realized just how impacting and powerful these lyrics are and how they pertain to real life struggles, such as deciding to get an abortion. In one part they say,"we decided not to have the child, so we did what we did and tried to forgot and we swore up and down there would be no regrets", I am not trying to make some huge statement here about abortion, I'm just saying sometimes we overlook powerful lyrics in the most common songs.