It made me think of an old tv movie of the week- I looked it up and it was called "Night Slaves" and it starred James Franciscus (the guy in the 2nd Planet of the Apes movie and/or the blind detective "Longstreet.) Anyway in the movie Franciscus has been injured or in some sort of accident and he has a metal plate in his head. He and his wife go to some small town for him to relax and recuperate, but he discovers that, at night, his wife and the rest of the town leave their beds and perform manual labor. I can't remember what manual labor; it was kinda like building roads or something. In the morning, they are a little tired, but remember nothing. Franciscus is immune, presumably due to the plate in his head.
So when I woke up feeling like I had a splinter in my hand, I thought, "Whoa! What unseen force is making me perform cabinetry at night?" I looked around my house, but no new wooden furniture was there to be found. . . .
Seriously, what is it about the idea of an unknown, parallel world that is so intriquing?
It's like that red pill and blue pill in "The Matrix." I never even saw the later movies, but in that first one-they had me in the palm of their hand. There was never a question, if given the choice, I'd take that red pill. I wanna meet the wizard; see whose hand is pulling the curtain . . .
But lately I kinda wonder. Maybe we believe too much in secret societies, hidden truths and mysteries to be uncovered. We believe in hidden foes that control the world and determine it's outcome; we dream of fantasy lovers and benefactors who will see us as something special and carry us off like Cinderella to a fairy tale life.
All of that is looking for validation outside of yourself.
It seems like it is divided into 2 camps: the camp that is looking for someone or something to give their life meaning and the camp that is looking for someone or something to blame because their life is meaningless . . . . .Neither camp is a good place to be and if you get too comfortable there you win . . . . . a longer stay in the camp -meaning you'll continue to look for someone to save you or blame someone for making you feel this way . . .either way . .you'll feel the same.
I once read that the ending of the movie "Pretty Woman" didn't originally have Julia Roberts running off with Richard Gere. She simply left "the life" and went to school, a stronger, more proactive, responsible person; but that wasn't good enough for audiences. They wanted the fairy tale.
Don't let wanting the fairy tale get in the way of your happy ever after.
No one is going to show up and offer you a red pill or a glass slipper.
2 comments:
What a nice post. I : ) all the way through it. I like your humor and love the moral. you remind how important reading good books are; life is richer somehow. You can wake up with a splinter and find the humor in it.
Fab post :) I like the images it paints in my mind. I too don't do the camp thing..I define myself, I make myself happy, I am enough for me..always have been BUT
I have a glass slipper, I believe in my Cinder Fella and it will be wonderful...but never fear I will enjoy every day of the road travelled.
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