OK, some thoughts, because Im bored on a Friday night.
1) Perhaps the most emotionally satisfying film I have seen this year was a documentary about the late singer-songwriter Townes van Zandt entitled "Be Here to Love Me." The film itself wasnt a work of genius, but to just learn Van Zandt's story and to see actual footage of his life is incredibly moving. He was the truest definition of a tortured genius.
2) I think it should be a federal requirement for all engaged couples to watch Ingmar Bergman's "Scenes From a Marriage" (the entire five-hour TV version) before being allowed to sign their marriage papers. This is not my own idea, but a shared idea between me and another friend who watched the film with me.
3) I think my favorite novels tend to deal with the themes of envy, murder, and guilt. Perhaps I'm feeling a bit Cain-ish lately.
4) Ive been pretty happy lately. But Ive also been kind of restlessly bored. I think I tend to feel that way when I allow myself to become superficially happy, and I forget to think about eternal things. When I think about eternal things, I tend to feel kind of tortured, but Im not bored.
5) I would say about a year ago I felt that I was coming dangerously close to being an alcoholic. It was just strange to drink so regularly, and so much, and to enjoy it as much as I did. I began to fear that I would allow another bad habit to develop that I would have to add to my list of habits that I had a hard time kicking. Thankfully, things appear to have changed a lot in that department. Theres a lot of benefit to staying busy and having a daytime schedule.
6) I just found out today that I have a friend who has hung out with the Prince of Serbia at his palace and was able to see his private theatre.
7) I think its kind of encouraging that the most embarassing, most idiotic things I have done in life cease to bother me all that much after enough time has gone by. Time really does heal all wounds I think. Embarassment is essentially a temporal thing I think.
8) All through my life I have continually learned to like new things, things that I might have been initially opposed to. I have learned to like new kinds of food, new kinds of music, new kinds of people. etc. Does that ever end? I wonder if in the second half of your life, you dont so much learn to like new things as much as you learn to re-like the things you used to like and forgot about.
Posted by todd at June 2, 2006 06:58 PM