Come Forward: October

So, for that last few years of doing these projects, I have made a list of movies that fit the them, and then use a random number generator to pic the next movie on the list. I was doing that up until I got to this month. 

I mean, how do you have a movie called October Sky and not watch the movie when it's also October? 

Homer Hickman is a young man from Coalwood, West Virginia. When Russia lunches the very first satellite in space, it inspires Homer to learn more about engineering. He tries to make a rocket on his own and finds out that he did everything wrong, when he blows up the back fence on accident. He soon learns that he is going to need help to learn more about what he is doing. He does what is consider social suicide and starts hanging out with the "geek" at school. Soon, Homer and his friends have a launching pad just outside of the city to test their rockets. He starts to enlist other people in town for help (even though they are supposed to) and soo they start to really understand rockets and how they work. Everyone in town is having a great time watching them except for Homer's dad. Homer's dad, and most of the rest of the town, know that once you are born in this town it's hard to get out. Maybe one kids every few years gets own on a football scholarship. The rest will live, word and die in the coal town. However, we see that while he dad doesn't want him to get his hopes up about this being a living for him, he dos help out in small ways here and there, but has never seen him actually launch a rocket. However, once he does he tries to support him. 

So, other than "hard work will help push you through" how does this relate to staying motivated? Well, Work on the hardest thing first. 

Look, I now hat it was a mistake for Homer to make a rocket and set it off in his back yard. However, at the time he thought that was going to be the hardest thing was to find that right about of gun powder to load and then he would have a rocket. He did it and it failed. They he did a little bit of research and tried again. Then when that didn't work, talking to the "geek" at school was the next hardest thing. In truth sometimes what we think might be the hardest thing is really just a an very overwhelming small step. It's doing the thing that's embarrassing, or insane, that really something we have built up in our heads that it's going to be. 

Sometimes the hardest thing to do its start, sometimes it walking away or taking a break, sometimes it's letting go. However, something doing the hardest thing first is the best next step to take.  

The Man Behind The Curtian: October

 This month we got a little bit old school with the movie that I chose. It's movie that I somehow missed when it first came out (and might be glad that I did). 

The movie stars Zac Efron, and the late, great Matthew Perry, 17 Again.

Mike had to grow up a little too fast when he was young. He was on his way to a basketball scholarship, graduation, and had the rest of his life ahead of him. Until he finds out that his girlfriend is pregnant and she give it all up at 17 to be a dad, husband, and had a different life than what he had planned. Now, in his late 30s, he is on his way to a divorce, his kids are not close to him, and he isn't very happy. That all changes when he is transformed back to the age of 17, and gets a chance to "redo his life". However, when he try to redo his life, he learns a lot about his wife, his kids, and himself that ultimately give his a chance to start over where he is now rather than when he thought he lost it all. 

This was not the best movie I have seen. Some of it didn't make sense, and really wasn't that great. It had a lot of great stars, but just missed the mark a little bit. 

However, I said last month that showing up was part of a bigger umbrella of a different topic that I wanted to talk about. That bigger topic is honoring your commitments.

Showing up is one way to honor your commitments, but there are lots of other ways to honor commitments. 

One of the things that Mike has a problem with in his adult life is that he start projects and doesn't finish them. He become complacent, and just blames everything on what he missed out on rather than make the best of where he is at right now. 

Honoring your commitments is one of the hardest things to do. It's hard because it's constantly pulling you to do things that might have sounded great in the moment, but you don't feel like doing it. Promising something, and just not doing anything to making it happen. It's doing the things that you say you are going to do weather or not anyone else is paying attention to the fact that you are doing them. 

When I was 17-18 years old, my Youth Pastor gave a sermon that included Horning your commitments, and its was something that I really wanted to be known for. I wanted to the someone who was reliable, and trustworthy, and was always going to be there when I said I was going to be there. I wanted to be someone who as known more for being selfless, and helpful. The older I get the more I see where other people do not do or honor what they comes out of their mouths. There are people in my life that I love dearly, but when they say that they are going to be where they said they would be, they don't come. They bail, or say they forgot. They will do and say anything so that they don't look like the bad guy for now showing up, or doing what they said that they were going to do. 

I have also found that being someone that honors their commitments that when things go wrong, or an emergency happens (because life) that things might be frustrating, but people know that I am telling the truth when I fail to make it where I said I was going to be. I have enough of good record from several people that they know if something happens I am truthful as to why I can't be there. 

I will say that this may not sound like it's ground shaking knowledge to have, but it really does change your life, and your perspective when you become someone who Honors Their Commitments. 

Come Forward: September

 So, getting closer and closer to the end here. It's getting a little harder to try and stay motivated when the end of the year, with all of it holidays, coming up.

However, let's talk about The Boys In The Boat.

This story follows the crazy journey of the Junior University of Washington Rowing team going to the 1936 Olympics. 

Now I know that it's a very short description, but it's a great move that you should go and see for yourself. 

So, the how does a rowing team have to teach me about motivation? Well, they learned a lot by working as a team, but they didn't learn that in one step. They learn it in smaller ways step that formed a whole unit. 

The Ten minute rule is good for this. This get overwhelming when you think of all the things you have to do, or want to accomplish. We can freeze and get nothing done because we can't fine a way to get everything done at once. 

Making yourself do one thing for ten minutes helps to get you started doing something, and then can help you go get a plan together to get all of the stuff you want to get done, done. 

The Man Behind The Curtain: September

 It's finally cooling off, well a little bit. It doesn't get super cold around here until like January. However, I am glad that we are going to start seeing the change that falls brings to us. It's been a long summer, but a short one too. 

Let's talk about one of the best movies that Disney has ever released, Encanto.

This movie is about Mirabel and her family. The members of the family have been granted a miracle over 50 years ago. It gave their family powers of all different abilities. They use these powers to help out the village. They are all working to keep the village safe and strong. However, the only grandchild that did not receive a gift was Mirabel. While she holds up a strong spirit to help out without her powers, she can't help but feel as if she is looked down on from her grandmother because the Miracle did not grant her a power. No matter how hard she tries to be helping and "special" she always seems to fall short. This difference has cause a small rift in the family. All of that changes when the Miracle starts to go out and she decides that she is going to safe it.

Now, this movie has been analyzed so many times over. From talking about generational trauma to inner strength, this movie gives you great music, a fun time, while also giving you classic, heart punching, message that Disney is known for. 

I am not going to get into all of that. 

I love this movie, and yes it touches on all of these things, we are going to let someone else analyze all of that. The one thing that I want to talk about is showing up.

Now, I will say that this topis will come back up again next month, but under an umbrella of that topic. However, I really wanted to highlight showing up. One thing the Mirabel is great at is showing up for her family. She will show up sometimes when her family doesn't want her around. Anything anyone asks her to do she will doe it. Even it it is hugging her older sister. 

The best example of her showing up is when she is at her little cousin's Gift ceremony. Antonio and Mirabel have shared the nursery since he was little. he will be getting his knew room during his ceremony. He is several years younger than she it, but has seen what her life it like without a gift, and is worried that the same thing will happen to him. Mirabel reassures him that he will get a gift, and everything is going to be ok. 

When he gets too nervous to walk to his door, he asks Mirabel to hold his hand and they walk together. Even thought doing this, reminds her of her ceremony where her whole life changed. She was afraid to walk down that same path again, but did it because her cousin needed her. He got courage from her being there, when she could have bailed and spared people talking about how she didn't get to get a gift. 

When you show up for people, it leave an impact. The people that show up in the good time and fun times are great, but the ones the show up when things get hard are better.

As much as I want to say that I have a perfect record of showing up, I don't. I have messed up, and failed at times, but I know that I have showed up when least expected and it's effected someone's day. I know the people that I can call in an emergency and they would do everything in their power to help. The people who show up in times of worry and trouble are rare.

Also, showing up even when you don't feel like showing up is powerful. There have been many times that I didn't feel like going somewhere, or doing something, but have seen how excited people are when I show up. 

Showing up is one of the most important small things you can do for someone. They might see it while you are there but when they look back they know who they can trust to help.

The Man Behind the Curtain: August

   So, I'm just gonna say this real quick. 

I HATED the movie that I watched for this month. Which was The Breakfast Club.

Long story short. Five kids are in for detention on a Saturday for various, and really not explained well, reasons. They get to know each other and that's it.... 

Oh and there is a moment where they dance. 

Look I know that I am not not of this era, and that lots it things seemed to be lost on me. However, I did not like this movie. While it wasn't slow, and was poorly explained as to why some of them were in detention at all. Those that did have reasons for being there, seemed like the teachers should have gotten them help instead of putting them in detention. They were left in a room together without supervision, and expected not to talked and break rules? It's like adults have never met teenagers before. 

Anyways, the one thing that I can say about this movie is that I like that the kids that were in detentions had like different cliques and friends groups. I like that there were able to find some common ground, weather is was music or other activities.

The one reflection that I wanted to reflect on is a recent love I rekindled, WWE.

Look I know that it doesn't make much sense that a girl who wears vintage clothing, watches old movie, loves Broadway, musicals, and everything Tennessee Theatre, also love WWE. I do. I used to watch it when I was a teenager, and then I had to stop, but I recently got back into it. I have had a few people tell me that they don't understand why, and I really don't either. 

I think that it's a way to live through drama, and the every once and a while feeling to punch someone in the face, without actually going through those things in real life. 

If movies is a fire in my soul, WWE is like lightning in my veins. I don't need it, but when I watch it it shocks me and riles me up. I think it's just really fun.

Plus, I love the double takes people give me when I tell them this fun fact about me. 

Come Forward: August

 This has got to the most insane month I have had so far this year. Which I odd know that the months coming up are going to be a mad house! However, I have been able to get ahead of schedule with watching the movie that I needed to for this month. I have also been doing really well on my big project for this month as well. So, I am happy to say that, while everything has been crazy, it's been the least stressful month so far this year. 

This time around we are going to talk about giving in. Of course, we need to start out with the movie first, Erin Brockovich.

Erin is a single mom that really needs some money to make end meets. She is hoping the a car accident she has will land her some money in a settlement, however, that doesn't go according to plan. When she goes to her lawyer angry about the outcome, she somehow lands herself a new job working in his office. While she is working there she comes across a complaint about health concerns in a county near by siting the they think the water is basically being poisoned and causing the whole county to be sick. Severely sick. After doing a lot of research, she come back to the office and bring the concerns up to the lawyer and convinces him to take on one case against the new plant that was built nearby. However, the complaint soon turns from one person, into dozens. Now she is rallying to get everyone compensation, and encouraging her boss to do what he can to help.

Now, this movie is one that you see so many clips about on Tictok and I was happy to finally watch it. Some of it seems like it might be a little far fetched, but over all the movie is great! It's a movie that you think might be slow in some parts, but it's entertaining all the way through and nothing feel like a drag to watch. I was really happy with how smooth, and easy the story telling was. 

You might think when I am saying to give in, that it might be about Erin here. However, it's not. The lawyer that she works for is on the verge of retiring, and he is at the end of his rope. He doesn't want to help. He just wants to finish out his last few years and retire. He finally gives in when Erin pushes enough. 

I'm not going to lie, I didn't want to work on my big project at all. However, one day I woke up and the desire was there, and I had the time but not a lot I didn't want to work on it because I didn't have the time that I thought I would need. Instead I gave in and worked on it. I worked on it some here and there and I got through to my next deadline. I was also happy that I did it a different pace than what I was normally doing it at. 

 

No Place Like Movies At Home: Chitty Chitty Bang Bang

We get to talk about a movie that I have come to love over the years Chitty Chitty Bang Bang.

While most people would like to say that this movie is about a car, this movie is really about a family. The children are being raised by their father and grandfather, their mother had passed some time before. The father is an inventor who has his hand in everything. The kids are at a junk yard playing in a car, Chitty, when it gets sold. They plan to ask their dad for the money for the car in order to keep it. As they are on their way home they run into Truly. She finds that where they live is not all put together, not too much money coming in, but see that the kids are well taken care of and loved. When the kids as their dad for the money for the car he does everything that he can in order to make it happen. He buys the car and fixes it up. They, along with Truly, go on a beach picnic and have a wonderful afternoon, where stories are told of the legendary Chitty Chitty Bang Bang saving a fairytale world from a bad king

This is one of those movies that I did not grow up with. I feel like there are lots of people who haven't seen many musical but this is one that was seen many times over the years. I didn't rally watch this one until my mid-teens. I really do love watching this movie every time it comes one. I always love home much fun the movie is, and how sweet the characters are. I am constantly impressed by the Music Box doll number is.