The curious case of me.

I am feeling quite nostalgic after seeing The Curious Case of Benjamin Button tonight. As you venture through the regressing life of Benjamin Button, you cannot help but find yourself consumed in the themes presented throughout the movie. Being that the film ran just under three hours, deciphering its entire meaning in one try is impossible, but a few key points stood out to me.

One quote that I promised I would share was the following: "It's not how well you play, but how well you feel about what you played." I think that this idea is so crucial to feeling fulfilled in all of life's endeavors. Someone once told me that I was not the best singer, dancer, or actor around and, therefore, would be wasting my time in pursuing show business. I am aware that I am not the most talented at what I do, but the feeling I get when I perform is one so profound. It is satisfying enough that day after day I feel that I climb mountains when I am performing, ultimately leading me to believe that I am meant to do so for a living. If ever you find yourself not feeling at the top of your game, remember that it isn't always about being on top, but appreciating the fact that you are well enough to play at all.

Another theme in the movie that I appreciated was that of having the strength to start over when things fall down. Too often we get tied up in the patterns of our lives, that when something changes we become dysfunctional. Take it from a real live gypsy who picked up and left, change is a good thing. After losing many people that I love, I learned that life can go on after loss; memories last forever and the lessons we learn from past experience and people help build a life worth experiencing.

A comical character in the movie was a man who worked on a tug boat starting at age 7. We learn about this character, as he describes the importance of individuality to Benjamin Button. He describes his life as a child, wanting to be an artist. When he told his father about this dream, he was scolded and reminded that he would take over the family trade of tug boating. Just as I began feeling sorry for this character, he ripped his shirt open revealing several tattoos all over his chest and stomach. We learned that the sailor drew all of the tattoos on himself, proving that he was an artist. He kept his true passion as close to himself as possible. This is so important to understand. In a world of material desire and financial climbs, it is important that we all keep true to our dreams. It is simple to obtain credentials to a "safe bet" career, but at the end of the day we have to do that in which we feel passionate about. Singing, dancing, and acting are about as unpromising as money growing on trees, but I find the need to do it anyway. I hope that everyone has a dream and, that in one way or another, you go after it.

Continuing on, the movie takes place at a nursing home. It is described, over and over again, how many people come and go. As each character passed away, we learned what Benjamin Button learned from that character. He describes in the movie how incredible it is that some people we know the least about leave the biggest imprint. I related to this extremely well. In my young 20 years, I've come across many, many different kinds of people. This sounds like nothing un-average, but the difference between myself and a lot of young people is that I genuinely listen. I genuinely listen to the homeless man who stands at the corner everyday, to Richard, the front desk attendant at my apartment complex, to the old folks at my late grandmother's nursing homes, to everyone I come across. There is a good chance that I can tell someone's story upon talking to them one time. I have a thirst for experience, whether mine or someone else's'. So whether you are a dear friend, or a faithful reader tell me something about yourself. My life is now The Curious Case of Nick James.

Without revealing too much about the movie, I will talk about the importance of sacrifice. Benjamin Button and his love interest face many circumstances in which sacrifice was the only solution, but they did so with all of their hearts; they knew that it was the best choice to make. Not only will I understand the meaning of sacrifice more, I will work on having the strength to sacrifice unselfishly.

As we all travel through our lives, growing older everyday, keep in mind that "you never know whats coming for ya." The biggest point portrayed in the fantastic story. Each day, we never know what is coming our way. For some it may be a triumph, for others it could be our last day on earth, for all,though, something is coming. Keep an open mind as fate plays part in our day's. Appreciate every moment you experience, both good and bad.

I began today the right way. I cleaned the apartment, applied for jobs, exercised, and ate a nutritional breakfast. I am proud to say that I ran 3 miles today, in under 30 minutes. I feel fantastic and cannot wait to do it again tomorrow.

As I enjoy each moment I experience in Los Angeles, I wish you all the best. I wish you vitality, health, and situations that build character.