We All Need A Little Magic
I watched Red One at an IMAX theatre today. It was my first IMAX experience and it was great. The story of Red One is a modern take of magic meets sci fi via Santa who actually exists in a pretty awesome sled with reindeer, who gets kidnapped and needs to be rescued. Why? Coz Santa is important to remind us that there is good and we need to see it, even in those on the naughty list. And it questions why fathers need to be present in their children’s lives. It was a good movie and a great feel good one because I think we all need to believe in some good as we journey in life.
I was talking to a friend recently about how as we get older we seem to become jaded in certain aspects. I particularly felt this even in terms of how I dressed and presented myself and how I felt about myself as a woman. 40 is the mid point of 80. It’s not old – though Hollywood and cosmetic crap has made it that way. I feel I am in the prime of life and yet, I had allowed myself to become jaded in how I presented myself every day. Not for the occasions – but just in general. And it was very much to do with how I felt as a person and how I viewed myself. And so I have now consciously decided to be more aware of how I present myself because a part of me is the fear of unwanted attention from people. And this has everything to do with self esteem. I have found that I need to embrace who I am and whatever that comes my way and that I need to be unafraid to face whatever. I don’t think dulling one’s light to disappear into the gloom was ever a good idea.
Red One was also my reminder that no matter what, the little moments of magic we create through art – music, pictures, dance, whatever – are crucial to fuel and fill one’s life with meaning and hope. I grew up with Disney and my wonder at visiting Disneyland and Universal Studios will always remain special. Reading books about magic, about other worlds, about fairies and wonderlands and mystery have always uplifted and inspired me. I have such childlike joy in indulging repeatedly in these and I don’t ever want to lose it. I reminded myself that the magical books we still read – the Narnias, Harry Potters, LOTR and others were all written by adults. Because it is as adults that we need to keep reminding ourselves of the possibilities and the importance of imagination.
This impacts everything we do – from work to our personal lives, relationships, romance whatever. It is the imagination that fuels and fires these very things and not giving it the adequate space it needs often stifles many of us.
So today, believe in the absurd and the magic and allow it to create pathways for you that you never thought possible. For what is life but a journey of many collected experiences – real and surreal.
