Friday, February 22, 2013

Friday, February 22, 2013

Tonight's picture was taken in February of 2009. The boat in front of Mattie was made out of Legos and he worked hard with Peter to construct it. In 2008 and 2009, Mattie must have built EVERY Lego kit possible. Legos was our source of sanity and though Mattie did not enjoy talking to others while he was battling cancer, he always responded to a comment or question about his Lego designs!


Quote of the day: The cure for anything is salt water – sweat, tears, or the sea. ~ Isak Dinesen


This afternoon I went out to lunch with a man who has been friends with my family since I was in high school. Together we have gone through his and our own ups and down. Having long term friends in Los Angeles is really quite a feat. I am not sure why this isn't commonplace. Perhaps it is the transient nature of the city or perhaps the more plastic and surfacey nature of the Hollywood culture. I have no explanation other than I know it is a rarity.

When I was living in Los Angeles during my high school years, I recall going out to dinner with this man and my family on a weekly basis. This tradition continues, since my parents continue to meet up with him weekly, even though my dad and this man retired and no longer work together. In a way, they are like family with each other.

Needless to say, our lunch conversations are usually heated with some sort of lively discussion. One of today's topics was the academy awards. A topic I am not well versed in anymore. Mainly because I do not go to the movies. At one time I did enjoy going, but since Mattie got sick and then of course died, my likes and dislikes have changed. I do think trauma and surviving a trauma have impacted my movie going experience! I no longer like being in a dark room filled with people. I do not care for the overwhelmingly loud sound systems which almost send vibrations through your entire body, and most of all I am very sensitive to the content flashing before my eyes. I can't handle violence, sounds of guns, and gratuitous sex. So when you factor all of this together I am NOT your typical American film goer. My joke is that Hollywood is lucky that it doesn't rely on people like myself to make money, because it would be out of business. Yet I will go see a movie or two on occasion when I have been told that it is something I would like or that would intrigue me. But always it is a movie that has been pre-approved by someone I trust.

So today's lunch conversation was about the nature of films and why people go to the movies. My parent's friend feels that people go to the theatres for the sheer entertainment value. I laughed because with the content in today's films, I wonder what entertainment value they actually have? But this is where the debate began. I would have to say that I go to see a movie not for its entertainment value but for its artistic value. I want to be captured by a story, I want to see the connections and complexities between people unfold, grow, and develop, and most of all I want meaning, purpose, and a moral message. Few movies can provide this from my perspective but what I do know is that when a movie does provide this I find it inspiring, empowering, and it causes me to think. Perhaps it is my training and professional bent, but with each movie I see I try to put myself into the shoes of the characters before me and understand the world through their lens. By doing this, it also helps me understand myself, my view points, and my feelings. So to me a movie is much more than entertainment. In my perspective producers, directors, and writers have a responsibility before them and how a movie makes us feel, what thoughts and emotions it evokes have subtle ramifications and consequences on our lives. We are not robots or computers sifting in violence and other hateful content without consequences. These feelings and disturbances we witness for two hours on a screen must go somewhere, and unfortunately for young minds this content influences behavior!

This afternoon, while driving through my parent's neighborhood, I spotted this beautiful deer eating close to one of the houses on the mountain side (by the tree at the 6 o'clock position). It is a beautiful sight to see greenery dotted with deer. Not something I can see in DC on a regular basis.

 

 

Right near my parent's home is a patch of land where bunnies like to hang out. You can see this resident bunny out and about this afternoon. I return to DC on Sunday, so I have one more day in LA. Today was a glorious weather day, close to 70 degrees, with the sun shining brightly! The notion of returning to grayness is simply not appealing and I can see the difference in life style and culture when winters are filled with sunshine and more moderate temperatures. It just makes you feel better not only physically but psychologically.