I got an a rare gift today. My friend and I did a kid swap. She took my children for the afternoon, and I took hers this evening for a sleepover. We both win, the kids win, everybody wins.
I dropped off my kids and immediately thought of all the errands I had to do. And then I did exactly one of them. I thought to myself, I rarely have time to myself like this. Rather than waste it doing things that I can check off the list tomorrow, I will do something I never get to do alone. So I drove straight home, plopped on the couch, and fell asleep immediately. And when I awoke twenty minutes later, I rented a movie.
Typically, if I watch tv, I have to be doing something else. Writing, drawing, working, etc. The constant need to multitask takes over and I can never truly pay attention and enjoy the moment. So today, I challenged myself to do just that. And I succeeded.
I rented "Her." It was both deeply disturbing and highly watchable at the same time. It's about a newly separated guy who falls in love with his artificial intelligent operating system. It sounds far fetched, and yet, as the movie goes on, you watch them build an actual relationship. Sort of.
The movie offers some amazing acting, and some incredible lines. For me, one of the best is when Joaquin Phoenix (the male lead, Theodore) meets his ex wife to finally sign their divorce papers. When she asks if he is seeing anyone and he offers that he is dating his OS, she responds, "You always wanted to have a wife without the challenges of actually dealing with anything real and I'm glad that you found someone. It's perfect." It stops him in his tracks.
While seemingly an improbable story, I couldn't stop thinking about the writer and director of this movie, Spike Jonze. He won an Oscar for Best Screenplay for this work. I love that. This guy, who was first known for directing music videos (remember that awesome Beastie Boys Sabotage video? That was him) and for making funny cameos in Jackass movies completely upped his game and wrote something completely thought provoking and brilliant. And that stopped me in my tracks.
When I was younger, I used to be envious of surface level things. Who looked better in their jeans, or who got into a better school. That stuff is so meaningless to me now. With age not only comes wisdom, but also perspective. Now, my attention is focused on those who can create. I admire people who have talents so much broader and bigger than my own. Rather than envy them, I am both inspired and challenged by them. They get me to up my own game, and to push the boundaries of what I believe is possible in myself.
Looks like three hours to myself did me some good.
