Bag of Randomness

  • I’ve been letting things really get to me lately, and it’s usually things that are out of my control and I guess in the big schemes of things, kinda petty.  It’s stuff like all things politics, a certification exam I’ve been studying for and I’ll have to take at the end of the  month, and how my favorite sports teams are performing.  And then two things happened to me within a few days of each other that helped me realized that life moves pretty fast, if you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.
  • One of those things I wrote about last week, trying to find my lost dog in the dark, and just feeling hopeless and tired from yelling and riding my bike up and down our hilly neighborhood.  Before I noticed he was missing, I just wanted to catch the VP debate, but while on my search, I totally didn’t give an s about anything but finding my little buddy and was fearing for the worst.
  • The other thing was catching The Descendents for its first televised airing on HBO on Saturday evening.  I missed the first 15 minutes, but as I started to watch it, it just captivated me.  So much so, it was the first time that I can recall deciding that I wanted to totally get lost in that movie universe and escape my reality, that I totally wanted to connect with it.  To achieve this, I made sure to put my phone out of reach.  I can’t recall the last time I watched anything without my phone nearby, as I’m usually doing that multitasking bit of watching the tube and checking my RSS feeds, emails, and tweets.  It felt great, heck, it was liberating to watch a movie like I use to before I had a smartphone or WiFi.
  • Most folks are already familiar with the premise of the movie, and I’m not giving away anything that’s not in the movie trailer.  Basically George Clooney plays a husband who’s wife will be taken off life support after a head injury only to find out from one of his kids that she’s been cheating on him.  Of course I’m not connecting with the infidelity part, but having trust issues is one of my major weaknesses.
  • The death of his wife reminded me about the death of both my parents, as her death was a bit of a mixture of how both my folks passed.  Like the character, my mother had a head injury and was also taken off a breathing or a life support device, and my father had a long stay in the hospital in which he basically just withered away in a coma.  It’s a weird feeling having to be a part of making that decision, and when it happens, you are once again left totally out of control and how things you really thought mattered in life, are just really small potatoes.  For my mother, she didn’t last but maybe twenty minutes, but for my father, it was over a month.  You find yourself wanting to stay at the hospital at all times, and for those few moments when you do get away, you feel nothing but guilt for not being there.
  • Clooney’s youngest daughter was kept in the dark regarding her mother’s health for the longest time as a way of protecting her at her young age, which I’m guessing was around 12.  I can recall that happening to my younger sister, right or wrong, when Dad was dying, and I think she was also 12.  I was a senior in college at the time and wasn’t really part of helping make decisions on how to handle things, that was up to my mother and older brother, but I still have mixed feelings about that.  Either way, we all thought a girl that age visiting the hospital everyday for about two months was a sad thing to go though.
  • There are several scenes where you see the characters talking to the comatose/non-responsive woman.  I recall doing the same and watching others, and it’s just a weird experience, trying to express yourself to them for the very last time, the very last time, and only hoping and wondering if they can hear any of it.
  • I was also reminded of people doing their best to say comforting words as I was going through those experiences, but being totally wrong in their assessment and me not wanting to correct them.  The movie shows how people will try to be encouraging by saying “she’s a strong women, she’ll pull through” when Clooney was already told by the doctors that there was no chance at recovery.  You can see the look on his face, that he so wants to say something, but knowing how it will just hurt them and make things awkward, ends up just thanking them for their support and carries on.
  • In the movie you see Clooney say goodbye to his wife for the last time, and him kissing her very dehydrated and cracked lips.  At first, you think it’s a bit gross, but lovingly touching at the same time.  I recall seeing my mother do the same the last time she saw my father and realizing love makes you do things you don’t give a second thought to.
  • The spreading of the ashes in the Pacific was a small family event in the movie, as it was for my family and mother.  It was moving watching the eldest daughter open up the urn, and just stare at the ashes, reflecting how all that dust was once human flesh that birthed and nurtured her.
  • It’s interesting the movie is set in Hawaii and centers around a family with wealth, and I love how Clooney’s character states that bad and everyday things even happens in paradise despite what everyone else might think.
  • The movie touched me so, I actually watched it two and a half more times that evening.
  • paradise immune to life
  • How one of those Old Spice commercials were shot in one take – YouTube
  • A 10,000-square-foot replica of the Disneyland Haunted Mansion attraction is up for auction on eBay.
  • Obama made a surprise appearance at a phone bank, the look on this volunteer’s face is funny.
  • An interesting tweet about that space jump from Dr Neil deGrasse Tyson – A corresponding fall to a schoolroom globe begins 1 millimeter above its surface. I’m just saying.
  • There’s a haunted house that always post pics online of when people get really scared, you can view them here.
  • The craziest play happened yesterday between the Chiefs and Bucs.  In one play, a punt was blocked, an interception thrown, and a touchdown was scored.  
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2 Responses to Bag of Randomness

  1. RPM says:

    I caught The Descendents Saturday night and it captivated me as well. I was not expecting such a touching film.

  2. Peggy says:

    This was a good movie. More meaningful than I was expecting when you watch the trailer. Watch a movie titled "The Way" Directed and written by Emelio Estevez and starring Martin Sheen. Won many awards at Cannes, but probably not too profitable at the box office. A father's journey after the passing of his son. Quite the movie, I thought I would not do well watching it, but I was touched and inspired throughout the journey.

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