Moments of inspiration are like – shooting stars - They only come ever so often - and if you get a chance to see them - take full advantage of them - usually by making a wish. They other way people say is striking while the iron is hot. Today I just finished watching Pump up the Volume - a Cult Classic Movie from the 80's Christian Slater and Samantha Mathis. Christian Slater's character Harry is a Pirate Radio Station DJ - who inspires his high school to take control over their lives.
At the end of the movie right when he is finally arrested by the police - he tells the other high schoolers to Take over the airwaves! Steal the Air! in the 80's I'm not sure how many teenagers were inspired to start their own pirate radio stations, but certainly now in this day and age of the Internet - this medium has certainly been an outlet for teen angst in terms of blogging. And so after a very long hiatus, I have been inspired to re-open my blog. Like harry I'm sure I would be surprised at the number of readers I'll have, but also like Harry writing is serves as an outlet, personally as catharsis for myself and then, for the few who do happen to be reading can also have share sympathy some of this content that I may write.
Harry's teen angst, about not fitting in, being shy, introverted, feeling like he needed to live up to the expectation of his parents and others, is actually something that does not just happen to teens, and something that doesn't end when you graduate, high school, college, PhD etc etc... A great point that was made in the movie is that we all have very basic human needs. They need to connect to others, for compassion, healing, and to know that one is not alone. He also makes a good point that is OK to write outside the lines and to go a little Crazy! once in while!! I think a major problem for most of us is that we don't experience the extreme ranges of emotion too often. Women need to let their hair down - Us men need to shed the coats and ties and actually Dance!!! When was the last time some of us have actually felt free???
Always we are bound - to a job, to a commitment, to our children, our duties. I remember Mitch Albom wrote in Tuesdays with Morrie we are constantly in this "tug of war" between the things we WANT to to and the things we NEED to do. If we don't let our wild sides every once in a while I think that is when tension builds up and then we either implode and get depressed or explode and get crazy in the clinical sense.
Can you remember the last time you screamed?? or actually laughed so hard you had to roll on the floor? Or felt something so touching that it brought you to tears? Those are the moments that I live for. I have been accused of being an "Adrenaline Junkie" or immature or even regressing because I want to get back to my roots as a child: throwing around a baseball, skateboarding, jumping and tumbling doing cartwheels and handstands. But these are my passions and those are the moments I feel most alive. I just wish I could share these moments with others - or help other people to experience theirs.
I remember my sports psych prof - Dr Gilbert showing us a Video of Bruce Springsteen in concert - he said "that's a 50 year old man jumping up and down!" A lot of what we do in this life is controlled. They say the only 2 things certain in life are death and taxes. We are always surrounded by rules - all the have to's in life - but the big question in life is what do you WANT??!!! "What would you do if you knew you could not fail?"
Life, at least here in America has this basic pattern: Birth, School, Job, (Marriage/Divorce, Children, Grandchildren) then ultimately Death - if you get the marriage and children part you are lucky and then if you get the marriage without the Divorce you are very lucky!!! But the point is Life and Relationships are very difficult. It is hard to believe the half of marriages end in divorce. In this Hollywood, media soaked society, we love all the movies of Romance - chick flicks - where the guy and girl end up together at the end of the movie - happily ever after. I really liked 500 days of summer. That movie to me was the most real. Because it took you through the full range of emotions one experiences in a relationship. The initial high when you first meet. The first kiss. And then ultimately the break up and the depression that ensues afterwards. But eventually the re-birth - the reconciliation - resurrection, if you will at the end of the movie. And like Christian Slater's character reminded us - that we need to live, we need to fight! Even Tiger Woods, Lance Armstrong, the people we most admire, they still don't have it easy maintaining relationships.
I remember in grammar school, we were all taught that every story has a plot. There is usually a protagonist and antagonist. There has to be conflict, without conflict there is no story - or if there is a story - how boring would it be without a conflict? On that note I'll sign off for now. and for everyone who took the time to read this - happy fighting! and don't be afrain to Go Crazy!!
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