Two incidents this week have caused me to think deeply about how we live our lives. On Tuesday a good friend who I enjoyed many great times with passed away. Last night I received a phone call to tell me that my best friend's brother has been diagnosed with an aggressive cancer.
I don't know about you but moments like these do indeed force me to look ore closely at the kind of life I lead. Am I busy doing the things that are good while the things that are important simply receive no attention at all? Family, friends, stuff I value and enjoy, the things that make a difference are sacrificed for the immediate, the urgent, those things we think we need to do to remain valued and valuable in life.
While I understand the importance of work, income and satisfaction, is there not a small possibility that the value and time we place on these things is actually more than they deserve?
I watch people who have been financially wise for the future unable to enjoy life now, others strive for great success in work or sport and miss out on the good stuff which simply passes them by.
The interesting thing about both these (and other incidents) is that they were unexpected; they happened while we were busy planning for life. Life is to be lived now and can not be put off. This is not suggesting Hedonism but it is suggesting attending to now, and now to those things that matter. Not putting off until tomorrow the hugs, kisses, adventures, time out etc we can do now. Just do it now.
People do not remember you for what you were planning to do, but what you have done and are doing now.
Thursday, 18 December 2008
Tuesday, 16 December 2008
Men's Group, the movie
Went and saw the movie, ‘Men’s Group’ last night. What a great movie! A confronting, hard hitting realistic view of Aussie Blokes dealing with the stuff of life which bends them out of shape.
A confronting movie not for the faint hearted but rewarding and revealing. As you watch it you identify with the characters, recognising them in others and in bits of yourself.
At times harrowing, at times embarrassingly stereotypical and other times close to home it is, in the end, a hopeful movie. Hopeful for the characters in the movie as they discover that as you confront the pain in your life there is a way forward, not matter how difficult and faltering the path may seem.
It is hopeful of blokes in that it shows us how blokes deal with stuff and can support one another meaningfully and deeply without talking about sex and football. It looks at language and how we use it to cover up stuff, how we present our selves to the world, it deals with fathers, touch, image, relationships and shows that stuff like that impacts each of us regardless of age (the age of the actors extends from late 20’s to somewhere in the 70’s).
After the movie I rang home and said I would be a little late as I needed time to process some of the stuff. I stood next to the car at Rozelle and looked up, the moon was hidden by a black cloud and against the night sky only the faint glimmer of light said the moon was there. As the clouds moved the moon glowed larger and came into view, except because of the time in the moon’s cycle, it wasn’t perfectly round. It was bent out of shape, a little off kilter. Yet it shined brightly and lit up the night sky.
That, to me is the message of 'Men’s Group', the movie. No matter how blokes are bent out of shape there is hope that we can come out from the dark cloud of brokenness and shine.
For more click on link
A confronting movie not for the faint hearted but rewarding and revealing. As you watch it you identify with the characters, recognising them in others and in bits of yourself.
At times harrowing, at times embarrassingly stereotypical and other times close to home it is, in the end, a hopeful movie. Hopeful for the characters in the movie as they discover that as you confront the pain in your life there is a way forward, not matter how difficult and faltering the path may seem.
It is hopeful of blokes in that it shows us how blokes deal with stuff and can support one another meaningfully and deeply without talking about sex and football. It looks at language and how we use it to cover up stuff, how we present our selves to the world, it deals with fathers, touch, image, relationships and shows that stuff like that impacts each of us regardless of age (the age of the actors extends from late 20’s to somewhere in the 70’s).
After the movie I rang home and said I would be a little late as I needed time to process some of the stuff. I stood next to the car at Rozelle and looked up, the moon was hidden by a black cloud and against the night sky only the faint glimmer of light said the moon was there. As the clouds moved the moon glowed larger and came into view, except because of the time in the moon’s cycle, it wasn’t perfectly round. It was bent out of shape, a little off kilter. Yet it shined brightly and lit up the night sky.
That, to me is the message of 'Men’s Group', the movie. No matter how blokes are bent out of shape there is hope that we can come out from the dark cloud of brokenness and shine.
For more click on link
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