Monday night I watched Waking Life, a film written and directed by Richard Linklater (A Scanner Darkly/Before Sunset/etc.). It delves into abstract ideas and existential philosophies and I absolutely loved it! I feel as though I need to watch it several times over to really grasp all it had to say.
I like being able to think about life and moments in life that make up our existence and relation to each other. What matters? What are we going to leave behind when we die? People are always challenging each other to "live life to the fullest" or "live every day like its your last" but do we really take the time to do that? I know I sure don't. Why? Because I work a 9-5 job that requires a 2 hour commute each way every day so its more like a 7-7 job. How do we live those mundane moments? There's one particular conversation that occurs in the movie that really stood out to me and it goes as follows:
"I know we haven't met, but I don't want to be an ant. You know? I mean, it's like we go through life with our antennas bouncing off one another, continously on ant autopilot, with nothing really human required of us. Stop. Go. Walk here. Drive there. All action basically for survival. All communication simply to keep this ant colony buzzing along in an efficient, polite manner. "Here's your change." "Paper or plastic?' "Credit or debit?" "You want ketchup with that?" I don't want a straw. I want real human moments. I want to see you. I want you to see me. I don't want to give that up. I don't want to be ant, you know?"
I feel like an ant all the time. I get on that subway and join the rat race. New York. No expression. No eye contact. Just let me go where I need to go so I can do what I need to do and don't get in my way don't make contact with me or I may spontaneously combust right in front of your eyes. It's very strange to find someone who will smile at you on the subway...let alone someone normal who will make eye contact with you. We're all surrounded by this protective bubble, maybe for good reasons, maybe not. In the end though isn't that's what life is all about, making those connections? You can meet someone and look in their eyes and know in an instant that a connection has been made. It's amazing how that happens...someone said that it's like your soul's recognition of its counter-point. There's something familiar. I love my friends, they are all amazing and I can connect with them all on different levels and it makes my life very fulfilling that I can be there for them and they in turn are there for me.
I suppose what I'm trying to say is that life can be so complicated, but at the core its all very simple...it's connecting to something larger than ourselves. We all want to feel a part of something greater and that's how we find it...by reaching out to each other and connecting and exploring the world inside and outside of us together.
Ok who feels like singing a chorus of "We are the worrrrrllld" I know I DO!!! (j/k....i really want to sing Koombaya....no i'm j/k again...)
"Lunatic Macaroni Munchkins with my GOOGOTS!" (there's probably only 1 person who will laugh at that and I don't think she will be reading this blog but nevertheless I'll put it in for my own amusement!)
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