Emotional Investments

    I remember being in a class during my undergraduate studies where the professor mentioned that there were some in the class who did not want to turn in assignments because they did not feel the writing was good enough yet. This was a fairly new idea to me as I tend to be a procrastinator. Give me when the assignment is due and I will complete it by the time it needs to be turned in, even if it takes until the wee hours of the morning to complete it. So, to think of someone not completing a project, paper, or assignment was pretty foreign to me. However, I think I can better understand this concept because of some of my favorite movies. I love 2 movies in particular, “It’s a Wonderful Life” and “The Greatest Showman.” 

    George Bailey is a hero of mine and I love to imitate Jimmy Stewart when the occasion arises, like when the moon needs to be lassoed.

     I love singing every song from “The Greatest Showman” and have on occasion said that “From Now On” is my favorite song. “Tightrope” is an unsung hero, and I have lip synced “Never Enough” with my niece while babysitting her.

    

    But I wouldn’t say that I can just turn either one on and have it running in the background while I am making dinner or even if I have to be focused on something else. There are plenty of movies or TV shows that I can do that with. In fact, I would say that most movies or shows I can simply have on and I can pay close enough attention to understand the plot and be doing something else, like laundry or typing up another blog post. However, when it comes to the 2 movies listed above, I enjoy them so much, that I feel the need and desire to be present for the entirety of the film. Sure, I may have much of the dialogue or music memorized, but that is not the point. I feel such an emotional attachment that if I can’t give my full attention, I won’t watch them.

    I guess the main reason is that I feel George Bailey is a very relatable character for me. Who hasn't wondered what life would be like if you weren't there? The build to George being able to glimpse that is a sweet story and his interaction with Clarence allows George to see what an impact his life has had on others. My favorite line from the movie is what Clarence writes in the copy of The Adventures of Tom Sawyer: "No man is a failure who has friends."

    Likewise, Phineas T. Barnum seem to resonate with me. No, I am not a circus performer or able to buy the kinds of things that he does for his family, but at his core, he is trying to make his mark in the world and provide for his family. I want to be able to see that play out in it's entirety from his humble beginnings to his humbling loss of the circus to the tent down by the riverfront.

    Perhaps there is a lesson on being present with people for me to learn from my desire to “be present” during these 2 movies. I can definitely be better about listening to what people say rather than thinking about what I am going to say. In that vein, what movies or shows do you feel the need to be “present” during when you watch them?