Although 2012 had its beautiful moments, I am not sad to see it go. Time for a new year with fresh possibilities.
I’ve got some major catching up to do and plan to embark on some serious blogging in the days to come; maybe even a few twofers. But not before I start the year on a positive and hopeful note.
I urge each of you to go see Ang Lee’s new film Life of Pi. A fable like adventure story, which hews very closely to the novel by Yann Martel (winner of the Man Booker Prize), it features a scrappy young survivor named Pi and his antagonist/co-protagonist, a bengal tiger. The movie is lush and gorgeous, packed with magic realism. And don’t miss the chance to see it on the big screen, as everything about this film is larger than life.
It was snowing when we left the theatre after seeing Life of Pi, the streets icy and deserted. We stopped in a tiny chinese restaurant. At the conclusion of our meal we cracked open the fortune cookies and mine read: “The only way to catch tiger cubs is to to go into the tiger’s den.”
I’ve never before encountered a fortune cookie that mentioned tigers, and given the movie we’d just seen, it seemed strangely apt. And it certainly seemed that I’d somehow wondered into the tiger’s den. However, I do question the motivation behind catching a tiger cub–sounds a little nefarious.
Anyway, I never tire of scrappy tales of adventure and survival and Life of Pi was one of three films I saw (and enjoyed) in 2012 that fit this sub genre. The first of the other two was The Hunger Games, which introduced a complicated character named Katniss Everdeen. Inspired by a trio of young adult novels by Suzanne Collins (I loved the books), The Hunger Games is dark, violent and dystopian. However, it is ultimately a story, however stark, about survival. I found inspiration there.
Finally, if you didn’t see Beasts of The Southern Wild, a small independent film, do. An enchanting tale full of whimsy but also pathos, the character of Hushpuppy will stay with you forever. At one point Hushpuppy declares “I am the man!” and you know that she too, is ultimately a survivor.
In 2013 I wish you all this: may we have the strength to deal with what lies ahead.
As you face your challenges, live fully and without hesitation. Embrace each day, not as if it is your last, but as if it were your first.
life and breath: outliving lung cancer 