Change often carries a cost. At the same time, though, it’s also accompanied by unexpected rewards. In either case, however, we frequently don’t recognize what’s coming, what it might entail and how it could affect us. What’s more, a lack of awareness of what’s unfolding can place us in a seriously compromised position.
There are so many things that can go wrong in life that it hardly seems wise, practical or prudent to go looking for ways to make our existence needlessly grueling. Yet, if we’re truly honest with ourselves, there are plenty of situations that can all too easily yield undue stress, pain and difficulty – and all as a result of our own making, too. But why would we do that?
What makes us successful as creative beings? That’s a question that scholars, philosophers and artists have been asking rhetorically for eons. Much, of course, depends on the nature of the creation. A lot also depends on the traits and temperaments of the creators. But the actual mix of attributes necessary for achieving such fulfillment may ultimately be difficult to define – or, as the French might say, a certain je ne sais quoi.
When everything gets taken away from one’s life, it must be nearly impossible to find something that provides a meaningful reason to carry on. The pervasive sense of hopelessness that sets in makes it difficult to establish a purpose in one’s existence. And so it often is for the incarcerated, individuals faced with an uncertain future of indeterminate duration. Under conditions as difficult as these, realistically speaking, one can’t help but wonder whether even the prospect of rehabilitation will actually pan out as a viable option.
Innovators are indeed a rare breed. They have ways of seeing things that many of us lack or haven’t yet developed. When they ply their abilities, they come up with inspiring, original conceptions that often attract huge followings and many imitators. And yet, despite these gifts and accomplishments, they sometimes don’t receive the credit or recognition they truly deserve.
“Touch” (“Snerting”) (2024). Cast:. Egill Ólafsson, Kōki, Pálmi Kormákur, Masahiro Motoki, Yoko Narahashi, Ruth Sheen, Masatoshi Nakamura, Meg Kubota, Tatsuya Tagawa, Charles Nishikawa, Sigurour Ingvarsson, Starkaour Pétursson, Akshay Khanna, Kieran Buckeridge, Benedikt Ellingsen, Maria Ellingsen, Eiji Mihara, Eugene Nomura, Harpa Elísa Ϸórsdóttir (voice). Director: Baltasar Kormákur. Screenplay: Baltasar Kormákur and Ólafur Jóhann Ólafsson. Book: Ólafur Jóhann Ólafsson, Touch (2022). Web site. Trailer. No matter how well life may treat us, almost everyone undergoes a memorable, fulfilling experience that, unfortunately, doesn’t last as long as we thought (or hoped) it would. These scenarios – usually romantic in nature – leave such profound, enduring impressions on us that we can’t shake them when they end, often abruptly and somewhat unceremoniously. We tend [...]
