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.
Select movie reviews from my web site are now available on the Movie Reviews page of BringMe2Life.com, available at https://bringme2life.com/. My latest post features a review of the eye-opening documentary "Your Fat Friend."
Getting along with others sometimes isn’t easy, even under the best of circumstances. Differences – of almost any kind – can become obstacles that impede communications and understanding, potentially making relations between individuals and groups problematic or even impossible. But conditions need not remain that way if we make an effort to get past them, an undertaking that generally calls for finding common ground and seeking solidarity.
Discrimination is truly an ugly concept, no matter what basis is used to try and justify it. Those who become the targets of such inexcusable prejudice are left to endure the irrational ridicule inflicted upon them, treatment that often drives them into hiding, afraid to step forward and be themselves. Considerable courage is generally required to overcome those conditions, but even vast reserves of that attribute may not be enough when it means taking on institutionalized versions of such loathsome negative behavior. Nonetheless, those who are able to muster up the bravery to tackle such undertakings should be commended.
Imagine being systematically discriminated against and unduly ridiculed without those inflicting such hurtful and unfair acts suffering any consequences. Those in various minority communities can no doubt relate to such treatment, having been subjected to it for long periods before legal protections were put into place (and, in some cases, even after those safeguards were implemented). However, there’s one constituency that’s effectively gone without protection – and, in many respects, still continues to do so. That kind of vulnerability should make everyone squirm, whether or not they’re directly impacted by such blindly sanctioned abuse.
Stories about those who give their all for others are truly inspiring. They set examples worthy of emulation and can help to motivate us to do more, including under circumstances where we may have thought that there was little we could do to help. Undertaking these measures can indeed be daunting – perhaps even overwhelming – but, when we see a need and are sufficiently motivated, there’s no telling what we can accomplish.
For some of us, there’s no stopping when it comes to seeing through on a mission of vital importance. The circumstances compel us to continue, no matter what challenges, obstacles and odds are against us. And, even if we can see that, there’s something driving us that won’t let us pull back or stop.
We’ve all no doubt heard about the proverbial molehill unwittingly being made into a mountain. The inconsequential somehow manages to become overly (and unnecessarily) inflated, taking on undeserved significance. This usually comes about as a result of undue attention paid to it by those who have self-serving agendas that they want to see escalated and addressed to resolve petty or trumped-up grievances. And the result is a chaotic maelstrom characterized by overhyped shrieking and misplaced ridicule, often directed at the wrong parties or the wrong issues.
Is it possible to know the real truth behind a particular situation? It’s often been said that, as outside onlookers, we only see a fraction of what’s involved in the unfolding of a specific scenario. And, because of that, we might well piece together an incomplete view of things, based primarily on what we believe about them, given that they shape our perspective and, subsequently, the materialized existence that emerges.
Tune in for the latest Cinema Scribe segment on Bring Me 2 Life Radio, beginning Tuesday September 12.
