Her and Me and You

When award season is upon us, I watch every movie under the sun. The films that I missed throughout the year finally get watched, and every year without fail one has an insane impact of me. I'll watch in fifteen times. In a row. I'll quote it, publicly, in a speech, about washing your hands after using the restroom (but seriously, it takes two minutes, just rinse ya damn phalanges)... This year the film that is keeping me awake dreaming about creating is Her by Spike Jonze.

We're here only briefly. And while we're here, I want to allow myself joy.

This quote, from the film, is now posted on my mirror, my phone, I made a bookmark... It's getting a little out of hand. One of my main goals for 2014 is to spend every day focusing on the small, average things in my everyday that bring a smile to my face. In other words, teach myself joy. Fall in love with my life. It was my goal before I saw this film, and when I heard the line I immediately felt this surge of emotion come over me. I love that about film. I get so engrossed in what's before me, for two/two and a half hours my mind/heart is in a brand new, expensively gorgeous place. 

This film takes place in the near-ish future. People dress clean and the buildings are beautiful. Pastels and mustaches, hipster outfits but everyone washed their hair. The world is, in a sense, perfect. And yet people can still feel loneliness and long for more. It was a reminder as I head into one whole month of documenting my moments of joy that in any world, in any place, you make a choice. Everyday you choose to get up, stay up, and never give up. You choose joy.

A friend of mine and I were talking on New Year's Eve, the day before my quest of allowing myself joy technically began, and he shared a conversation he had once where someone asked, blatantly, 'Who ever said you were owed happiness?' Who ever said happiness/joy/health/love is given, without work or even acknowledgement? To me, it was an 'Ohhhhhh, yeah!!!!' moment. Obviously it's not just given to us. Obviously we have to work our asses off to fight for our happiness/joy/health/love. Obviously it's something worth fighting for. So how can something so obvious be so easy to forget? I'm glad I'm making it a priority these days... Every day I write down what in the last 24 hours brought me joy I go to sleep smiling. Not bad.... Not bad at all.

Cheers to the work. Cheers to, always, taking life just a little too seriously. (I mean, really, it's just another film with kooky Walking Pheonix) (Please laugh at my joke about how walking and Joaquin sound the same).... Cheers to you.


Also, how bad was American Hustle??? lol jkjkjkjjkj nvm ttyl