The Present - Thanks My Son

About three hours ago I thought of the following challenge and posted it on my Facebook page:

Go to Blockbuster Video with four people and, in fifteen minutes, walk out with a movie none of you have seen AND all of you want to see. Good luck.

It sounds like a trial, or a right of passage doesn't it? With a wish of sarcastic "good luck" I mock you to attempt this with little belief that you will achieve it. The reason for the challenge was because of a couple of trying hours my wife and I had this afternoon and early evening with our children. A day that ended with a few lessons learned and laughs.

After dinner plans we had were changed we decided that we should have a movie night. So we headed to Blockbuster and tried to pick a movie. We had agreed that it should be one that we ALL wanted to see though it did not have to be one that none of us had seen. After a few minutes of nahs, nos and I don't want to see that ones we all started getting frustrated. We ended up renting Kung Fu Panda a movie which, in the car driving to the Blockbuster, we had told our children we would NOT be renting because we, the parents, did not want to watch it. We had imagined that it would be a fight filled, hyper, action-packed, annoying film that would just energize our children and prevent them from falling asleep. Not the kind of relaxing night we had planned. With a white flag in our hands, though, that is the disc that we slipped into our player at 8pm or so.

Well, it turns out it was a very good movie indeed with a great message and a quote which I will repeat soon, down a few lines. The film, and the day, did provide me with a lesson. I had imagined what the movie would be like. I did not believe it would be any good based on nothing but a prejudgement based in turn on very little information other than the stereotype I have of kung fu movies and eight year old boys going nuts after watching such flicks. We all wanted the perfect movie, the ONE that would satisfy some imagined feel for a family movie night.

During dinner we told our children that they should have been more considerate of what we wanted to watch and that we can't always get what we want in life....yada yada yada...we went on trying to give them a life lesson over some dumb rental movie. Parenting can really play with your mind at times, let me tell you!

The movie was great. Evil and good. Good winning. It had Chinese traditions, folklore and mystique. It had good music and beautifully drawn scenery. And it had a quote from a tortoise named Oogway:

"you are too concerned with what was and what will be. Yesterday is history, tomorrow is mystery, today is a gift, that's why it's called the present."

I have always loved zen like-master-Buddhist-martial art-loyal-philosophical-sage-wise man sayings but this one may top them all. It is particular poignant to me as I have been trying to learn to live the gift of the present without being hampered by history and mystery.

So...in conclusion an animated movie which I did not want to see has taught me a lesson and resulted in a great evening with my family.

Thanks my son.

Let me know what you think about what you have just read. Please and thanks!

Comments

Sleepwalker said…
Sweet J. You guys were willing to try and it turned out great. Good on you.
January 10, 2010
Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Banning Russian Teams and Athletes

Speaking Tuesday to legislators in London about Wimbledon, British Sports Minister Nigel Huddleston said: "Absolutely nobody flying the flag for Russia should be allowed. Many of us would be willing and able to [allow them to] compete as non-aligned, non-flag-bearing entities. But I think it needs to go beyond that. We need some potential assurances that they are not supporters of Vladimir Putin and we are considering what requirements we may need to try and get some assurances along those lines." (source =  https://www.cbc.ca/sports/tennis/wimbledon-british-government-in-talks-about-russian-players-1.6386102 ) The invasion of Ukraine by Russia has sparked much debate in the world of sports.  Should Russian teams be banned from competing?  Should individual Russian athletes be banned?  Should teams of athletes be allowed to compete but without flag, uniform, country name, anthem, etc.? Some athletes have said that it is unfair to mix politics and sports.  They rightly state t
Read more

A Personal Request

To my readers, Yesterday I registered to run the 5K HSBC 2009 Childrun.  This is an event that is being held June 7, 2009 for the 24th year.  It raises funds to help provide care and treatment to children who suffer from cancer.  I consider it a worthwhile cause and I am therefore asking you to donate whatever you can.  Here is a link to my personal web page where you can make a donation.  Thanks in advance for your support. Olivier Let me know what you think about what you have just read. Please and thanks!
Read more

Ash Barty

The news that Ash Barty has taken the decision to retire at the age of 25 has caused many people to react.  Some understand, others question, others accuse.   Her decision has touched off a few ideas of my own. When is enough actually enough?  When do we decide we have enough?  When can we stop and just be content with what we have? At 25 she has achieved so much.  I have seen words accusing her of lack of character, of quitting or of not having the mental fortitude (one person I saw was wondering what was wrong with women's tennis?)  I think none of these people can really speak with any authority.  First of all most of these people, writing the drivel, can hardly speak from a place of success.  How many grand slams have they won?  How many tens of millions of dollars have they earned, how many weeks at number one have they spend and how well known are they in the world?   At some point, enough is enough.  I respect Ash Barty for taking a personal decision.  She has enough.  She h
Read more