30 Days of Joy: Day16-Movies

I love movies!  I think I get this from my dad.  He loved movies especially Westerns.  John Wayne was his favorite.  He had so many videotapes that he would watch over and over again.  He loved adding to his collection.  When I was a kid and we didn't have a lot of money, we would go to the drive-in movies.  We would take pop in our tupperware glasses with the lids, make popcorn at home and bring candy.  I would take my pajamas, blanket, and pillow.   We would drive up and down over the hills for the cars until we found the perfect viewing spot, spend countless minutes getting the speaker situated on dad's window, and settle down to watch the double or triple features.  I had the back seat all to myself and would sometimes lay in the rear window and watch the stars.  If I got tired,  I would change into my pajamas and made a bed in the back.

Now we have a variety of ways to enjoy movies.  We can certainly go to the movie theater.  It's not like it used to be when you could stay and watch the movie a second time if you wanted, but they do make up for it in comfortable seating and Dolby sound.  If you have a Netflix account or cable, you can stream videos on your TV.  If you'd prefer to rent a movie, you can rent online from Netflix and get it in the mail or you can go to a neighborhood Redbox to watch one tonight.  In the summer, several cities offer movies outdoors in the parks or on rooftops of restaurants.  Movies are easily available for our viewing pleasure.


Since there is a plethora of movie choices out there, it is sometimes difficult to decide what to watch.  This decision is made more difficult multiplied by the number of people who have to agree on the choice.  I can easily choose something to watch, but if my husband is involved, it is much more difficult.  Forget about it if my son is also part of the equation.  No, maybe not-just let him choose and go along with it.  That works for me since I love most movies.

I think cinema, movies, and magic have always been
closely associated.  The very earliest people who
made film were magicians.
Francis Ford Coppola

I admire actors and directors for the incredible, creative work they produce.  However, while it is true that I will watch most movies, there are some that I avoid if I can.  Since I immerse myself in the story and feelings of the characters, I have found that it is best if I avoid horror films.  I get too involved and scare myself-not an experience that I personally enjoy!  I also don't like subtitles very much.  It interferes too much.  I am very visually oriented and am distracted by the words on the screen.  I also don't trust the translation.  When I lived in Mexico, I went to a movie from the United States. It was in English with Spanish subtitles.  I found myself laughing when no one else in the theater did because the subtitles couldn't convey the subtleties of the dialog.  I've never liked subtitled films since that experience.  I also probably don't have very good taste in movies.  My son took a film class, and I went to some of the movies that the professor assigned.  I did not enjoy these movies at all!  They included Crazy, Stupid Love which I liked the best; The Burning Plain which was very artistic and depressing; Drive which was extremely violent and tortured; and The Skin I Live In which was subtitled and just plain disturbing.

My type of movie is one that brings me joy in the music or story or makes me feel empathy when I relate to the characters.  That is probably why I love musicals so much.  I suspend reality for the brief time I am in the movie and just enjoy the auditory and visual experience.  This is probably why I enjoyed Rock of Ages so much last night!  First of all, I loved the music.  Second, I enjoyed the bevy of actors cast in the movie.  I particularly enjoyed the character of Stacee Jaxx as portrayed by Tom Cruise.  His commitment to the part-acting, costuming, body language, singing-was incredible.  He exhibited the same immersion into the character that I always see in performances by Johnny Depp.  How they can recreate themselves to be these memorable characters is amazing to watch and experience.

It probably comes as no surprise that I am looking forward to seeing Les Miserables when it comes out in December.  In the meantime, I will keep enjoying my Redbox rentals, my Netflix streaming, and my visits to the movie theater.  I may even explore a movie in the park since the weather is so conducive to enjoying the outdoors.  Whatever I choose, I know that I will enjoy every minute.  So find a willing friend or loved one, grab some popcorn, and settle down to watch a fun movie.  Let me know what you have enjoyed and recommend.  And don't forget...

Have you found your joy today?

30 Days of Joy: Day 13-Music

I think music in itself is healing.  It's an explosive expression of humanity.
It's something we are all touched by.
No matter what culture we're from, everyone loves music.
Billy Joel

I believe that music is an important part of our lives.  It has different degrees of importance for each of us, but I believe that everyone enjoys some type of music. My dad loved country and cowboy music: Marty Robbins was a favorite of his.  I can remember hearing him play the record "El Paso" when I was very young.  My mother loved all types of music.  She had the radio on all day long so we heard the newest songs being released at the time.  Some of my earliest memories are of listening to "Purple People Eater", "Tequila", "Witch Doctor", "Tom Dooley", and "Itsy Bitsy Teeny Weeny Yellow Polka Dot Bikini" on the radio.  Most of these songs are from 1958 when I was 5 (6 in November) years old.  As a result of this early exposure to music, I have had a love for music my whole life.

I like all kinds of music.  My taste is very eclectic, but I always want to listen to the newest music so I can stay current.  I don't ever want to become one of those old people who puts down the music of the younger generation!  I really don't think that will happen to me.  When I was working, I didn't have a lot of time to listen to music so I made sure that I listened to music in the car to and from work.  Most of the time I learned about new groups and heard new songs from my sons.  I always spent time listening to their music so I knew what they were listening to and to keep up with what was cutting edge. We would often discuss new groups and why we liked particular songs.  They were my method of keeping up with the times.

Nowadays, I am often more current than they are because I have satellite radio in my car.  I also try to watch the top 20 videos on VH1 every Saturday morning, because I love the visual experience of videos and music. I have music on my iPhone plus I have several "radio stations" that I listen to on Pandora when I am using my computer.  I notice that many of my friends on Facebook are listening to Spotify or share their exercise playlist for the day.  No matter how we access it, music is an important part of our lives!

Have you ever had the experience of hearing a song from your past that propels you back to a specific time and place?  I'm sure that most of us have had that happen.  When I was in tenth grade (1967-1968), they played music in the lunchroom every day.  To this day, I am transported back to that lunchroom and eating an ice cream sandwich when I hear "Incense and Peppermint"!  The songs I mentioned earlier bring me back to the living room of our house in Miami.  "Amazing Grace" (bagpipe version) reminds me of my father's funeral.  "Baby Mine" from the Beaches Soundtrack reminds me of rocking my older son and singing to him when he couldn't sleep as a baby.  (Also "Under the Boardwalk" if he needed a faster rocking tune!).  "Your Song" by Elton John reminds me of early dating days with my husband while "Maggie May" brings me back to a pizza restaurant the time we snuck away in college for a weekend together in the big town of Estherville, Iowa.

I am probably in a small minority of people who loves musicals.  I always have.  I loved it when Buffy had a musical; I also enjoyed Grey's Anatomy when they had musical numbers in their show.  I was even a fan of the show Cop Rock in 1990.  Most of you have probably never heard of this Steven Bochco musical cop show.  I have watched Mary Poppins, The Sound of Music, and West Side Story many times.  I loved Wicked and Les Mis (can't wait for the movie coming out in December!).  Given my love for music and musicals, it should not be a surprise to you that I am so excited about seeing Rock of Ages this weekend!


 I am the demographic for this particular movie: 80's rock band music, Tom Cruise, and a cast of other stars.  I know that many of you wouldn't go to see this movie even if someone paid you.  However, I loved the music and thoroughly enjoyed the Broadway play when we saw it on tour.  Having the visual richness and sound of a movie combined with some of my favorite actors makes this a MUST SEE in my world.  I am planning on hobbling there this weekend to totally immerse myself in this nostalgic experience.  I will just add this to the joy that music brings to my life.

For today, I am listening to Adam Lambert, Bruno Mars, Gotye, Jason Mraz, Train, and classical music plus I will probably watch Duets tonight to round out my musical joy for the day.  What are you listening to?

Have you found your joy today?