Sandals and a Stick is designed to keep me focused and maybe provide some examples of how I see the world around me. It is designed to remind me of how I should live while recognizing God’s gift of life.
Since we have only recently begun to explore our environment again, the only experiential input for the past number of months consisted primarily of passive electronic stimulus.
Although I am still not wandering around much, I visited the traveling replica of the Vietnam Memorial last weekend. This personal tour proved more than adequate in producing emotions that bubbled up from deep within.
Perhaps the excursion to the "Wall That Heals" had exposed a few raw nerves preparing me for the viewing of Short Term 12 (2013 Movie).
The movie is about troubled adolescents living together with the guidance available to set them on a better track for life. I am not certain that the portrayal of this together-we-can-make-it-better accurately reflects what a real-life situation might be like, but it was captivating.
It eventually becomes so much more than captivating as the pain of a teenager unraveled when she asks the question, "Would you like to hear a story I wrote?" You can watch this segment of the movie on YouTube.
STOP!
Before you view this clip, consider a couple of things first.
If you are going to watch the film, do NOT watch the YouTube clip.
If you are not going to watch the movie, consider the following points before clicking on the link.
- Read the story first.
- Give thought to which character most closely resembles you.
- Think about how this revelation has affected your world and viewpoints.
- Think about placing yourself in the opposing character’s situation and think again.
Although there are a couple of psychological interpretations available online, I thought it better to just consider this story on a personal level.
 |
| Short Term 12 |
The Octopus and the Shark
“Once upon a time, somewhere miles and miles beneath the surface of the ocean, there lived a young octopus named Nina. Nina spent most of her time alone, making strange creations out of rocks and shells. And she was very happy.
But then, on Monday, the Shark showed up.
“What’s your name?” said the Shark.
“Nina,” she replied.
“Do you want to be my friend?” he asked.
“Okay, what do I have to do?” Said Nina.
“Not much,” said the Shark, “Just let me eat one of your arms.”
Nina had never had a friend before, so she wondered if this was what you had to do to get one. She looked down at her eight arms and decided it wouldn’t be so bad to give up one. So, she donated an arm to her wonderful new friend.
Every day that week, Nina and the Shark would play together. They explored caves, built castles of sand, and swam really really fast. And every night, the Shark would be hungry, and Nina would give him another one of her arms to eat.
On Sunday, after playing all day, the Shark told Nina that he was very hungry. “I don’t understand,” she said. “I’ve already given you six of my arms, and now you want one more?”
The shark looked at her with a friendly smile and said, “I don’t want one. This time I want them all.”
“But why?” Nina asked.
And the shark replied, “Because that’s what friends are for.”
When the shark finished his meal that night, he felt very sad and lonely. He missed having someone to explore caves, build castles, and swim really really fast with. He missed Nina very much. So, he swam away to find another friend.”
This week, I will be thinking about this story. I will remake myself into an octopus-self for a while before I become a shark-self. I will look to analyze issues such as
- Boundaries
- Vulnerability
- Self-sacrifice
- Secrets
- Friendships
- Emotions
- Empathy
- Pain
Micah 6:8.
"He has shown you, O man, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you?
To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God."
No comments:
Post a Comment