Movies and More
July 13, 2016
Today is the 18 month “anniversary” of my arrival here at the Taft prison camp. While I am not *celebrating* it does seem like the time has gone fairly fast and that’s a good thing!
Yesterday I gave my sixth talk at Toastmasters. Four more and I will be a Certified Toastmaster. I’m not quite sure what that means but it sounds pretty impressive! This talk was on one of the key philosophies that has helped me tremendously during my time here. I’ve blogged about it before but it’s worth mentioning again: “Everything that happens to me is the best possible thing that can happen to me.” Prior to coming across this about a year ago in “Zen and the Art of Happiness,” I subscribed to the “glass half full” philosophy (aka “making the best of a bad situation”). It had never occurred to me that everything that happens to me is the best possible thing that can happen to me. This has been my “go to” philosophy whenever I feel a “pity party” coming on, also known as Eyeore Syndrome. It’s very comforting to know that the universe and it’s Creator does not make mistakes and all I have to do is be present for all the good things that will come out of everything that happens.
And now for something completely different… (how many recognize that line?). Yes! Last week we had a special screening of Monty Python and the Holy Grail. Even though I know every line in the film, it was still great fun to see it again and laugh and laugh. These special screenings are in the Visitation room and are separate from the movie nights we have on Friday and Saturday nights which typically consist of fare such as Fast and Furious 28 or Bourne to be Wild and other such pablum. But then again, my taste in movies is a bit different from the average American (I like quirky). Speaking of quirky, the prior special screening before Holy Grail was the Princess Bride. I had actually never seen it in spite of it being recommended over the years (Jill!). I loved it! It was quirky in the extreme with almost as many good lines as Monty Python and the Holy Grail. I’m a convert!
That’s all for now. Just trying to stay cool as the temps head back to the 100s! Hope you are all happy and well!
David
