I'll admit it. I seriously considered devoting an entire blog post to my disappointment with the new "Hunger Games" movie. It failed to meet my expectations in several different areas and I was upset that the movie was not identical to the book- a sentiment that I usually have in these scenarios. HOWEVER, after sleeping on it and considering the whole thing today, I have decided that I would not be totally opposed to seeing the movie again, and perhaps this time NOT being quite as rabid about the lack of adherence to the book. So for now, I will leave my shredding of "The Hunger Games" for a later date. Though don't be surprised if it shows up in the near future.
I've been thinking a lot lately- dangerous, I know. I've been thinking about what I should be doing with my life (as per usual), and how I could better prepare myself to get places. Luckily, THIS time, instead of staying up all night watching snippets of embarrassing tween movies (see: March 12, 2012), I've put my anxiety and energy to good use. This time, I spent an afternoon creating a list- a massive to do list of things I want to accomplish in my future- all filed away in a binder that is color-coded, separated by tabs, and organized in a helpful and non-intimidating way. Believe it or not, this giant list has come in quite handy, and makes me feel motivated to star work on some projects (emails, scheduling, crafts, etc), while simultaneously helping me find a way to finish things (i.e. my NOVEL(s) that all sit, unfinished, on my computer's desktop). It's amazing what back-to-school supplies and a little coffee can make you feel capable of. Five-year plan? CHECK! And just like that, I'm winning.
In addition to huge life decisions, I have also been thinking about equally important things- for example, one of the messages presented by Walt Disney's Pinnochio. I haven't seen this movie in quite some time, but it was very popular when my sister and I were young- it was one of the few Disney movies that Dad didn't mind watching with us, so I think it got more than it's fair share of play. But a recent trip to Disney World (a GLORIOUS four days in Orlando with my mother, sister, and grandmother this month), got me thinking about Pleasure Island. Wasn't that whole thing kind of weird? One minute they were playing pool, smoking cigars, getting drunk, and being pretty lame, and then they all turned into donkeys and had to work in salt mines? Pretty screwy. And then it hit me. That whole thing- the donkey thing, is still ludicrous, but suddenly it started to make a little bit of sense. The boys were turned into donkeys- because they were acting like JACKASSES. A-HA! And it only took me 15+ years to figure that out! The more I thought about it, the more I thought that I might have heard Jiminy Cricket say something about making a jackass of yourself- though that seemed awfully crass for a Disney movie. And then I found THIS. Some of the comments for this video assert that by ignoring education and figures of authority, you will turn yourself into a jackass no matter what, while others think that this part is hilarious. Still others encourage viewers to "forget about the saw movies"- that this is one of the most depraved and terrifying things they have ever seen. I think I'm on board with opinions one and three. I don't know how I watched this when I was younger without a slew of nightmares. And I also can't help but think-- you know, Jiminy DOES have a point. Can you imagine a world where wasting your life in bars and being a complete ignoramous would mean you would end up a donkey in the circus or the salt mines? Business on Main Street in Manayunk would CERTAINLY be down. Not to mention the rate of enrollment of any college, anywhere. Regardless, I really like that whole "don't be a jackass" message. When you get right down to it, that possessed toy and talking cricket make an awful lot of sense, don't they?
