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Somehow, I missed it when it came out, but I watched it tonight.
At first I thought I wouldn't like it, what with it being a bit hard to believe that these Manhattan sophisticates would swallow this whole desperate, nervous, awkward name-dropping routine by Will Smith, but the story was, in the end, compelling, especially the moment when Stockard Channing laments the fact that they have been taking real, human experiences shared with another person and turning them into nothing more than anecdotes over cocktails.
It brought into focus something that has been slowly dawning on me over the last few months - I'm squandering my life, too much of it anyway, on hand-wringing over injustice and politics.
I'm fortunate enough to have a few great friends and some aquaintances here in the bay area - wine country, actually, who are quite fascinating people. Vintners, in addition to being retired doctors and teachers. They had me over for Thanksgiving, where I got to meet all kinds of nice people, and yet after a few drinks of their wine, I blathered on about how awful Bush and the war are. In fact, at one point I got so overbearing that the hostess politely suggested that I "go outside to help Bob with the BBQ".
This is the Bay Area, for chrissakes. I was preaching to the choir! I had an opportunity to share positive experiences and ideas with people and I squandered it with gloomy talk of politics! I really had become something of a "Debbie Downer" Even one of my best friends, going all the way back to high school, doesn't want to talk to me as much. None of these people are right-wingers. They just haven't let themselves fall head over heels into this obsession with what is going on with our country.
Don't get me wrong. I'm glad I was awakened after 9-11 and the Iraq invasion. I will never look at this country in quite the same way again. But dammit, I need some balance. I want to bring positive, enriching things to a conversation, to make people have a good time. I want to do things with my life that inspire others, not just make them ponder.
Starting up a new exercise routine after being very lax for years was a good start. Setting limits on the amount of time I spend posting here would be another. Actually making time to check off more of the goals on my whiteboard is yet another. I think I will be a much more valuable asset to the progressive movement if I'm a well-balanced, happy, fit person, with more money, time and wisdom to contribute, rather than just some fat slob at a keyboard.
The next time I get together with my friends up in the wine country, I'm going to make a point of looking past the wealth and good taste that intimidated me the last time, and really listen to what they say. And I intend to make a point of contributing something positive to the evening myself. Hell, I've been around. I've lived overseas, I've done all kinds of things. But I've spent the last 3 years ranting about Bushco here.
I love DU. I'll be around, but there is so much more to life than this. I need more than an echo chamber. America is a wreck, but dammit, that doesn't mean we don't deserve to live good, fulfilling lives, and I don't know about you, but I'm going to redouble my efforts to do so.
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