American Beauty
Last night I watched American Beauty with my sister and we talked for hours. I'm pretty sure that was the most deep, meaningful conversation we've ever had. She let me into her mind, and it's honestly one of the most trusting things someone can do. She revealed all of her inner thoughts to me, and I listened to every word. We started the movie around 8 pm, and by the time we had finished the movie (including the over three hour break we took in the middle for us to talk endlessly, and the hour long talk we had after the movie was over), it was past 1 am. Lately I've been realizing that I cherish these moments the most. When I was little I had a short attention span and hated it when grown-ups talked for more than five minutes. But now, I prefer long, deep conversations to the superficial small talk.
I've come to love words. I love how certain words sound together, making unintentional poetry. Right now I'm rereading Every Last Word, which may be my new favorite book. I'm sure I've talked about it in a previous post, but it's amazing. I've stopped twice to quote a paragraph in the notes on my phone so far. This isn't atypical; I like to write out quotes I find funny or meaningful or relatable. I'll add the two I found today.
"Emily's house is small but cute, cottagey-looking, complete with a white picket fence, big oak tree smack in the middle of the lawn, and a tire swing hanging from the thickest branch. It's painted white with bright blue trim and bright blue shutters, and it looks so cheery, it strikes me as odd that anyone could be sad or sick on the other side of that bright blue door." -Tamara Ireland Stone, Every Last Word, page 157
I love this quote because of the way the words sound, and because I understand the meaning from personal experience. Plus, she uses "cottagey," which isn't even a real word. I love adding "y" to the ends of words because no other word quite captures exactly what you're trying to say.
"He began to realize no one else heard music quite the way he did. No one else knew that his wife's voice was this really unique shade of purple. 'Normal' people couldn't see the color of laughter, and he began to feel sorry for them, because they'd never get to experience the world the way he did. I think that's a lovely way to look at special minds." -Tamara Ireland Stone, Every Last Word, page 253
I love this quote for its analysis of the brain and how people perceive it. I'm really interested in psychology and the way the brain works, as I have mentioned about a billion times before, and I think this quote encapsulates the different perspectives people have. One thing I find fascinating is that 100 people can live through the exact same experience, and none of them will feel the same as another.
I recently watched Across the Universe, and weird acid-induced scenes aside, it was spectacular. It was thought-provoking while also tying in one of my all-time favorite bands: The Beatles. "Zoe, how on earth does this relate to your previous paragraph? There isn't even a transition!" I know, I know. The ending of the movie is extremely different from the beginning. Every character has changed their mindset and been through things they couldn't imagine. The song that ties this all together is their cover of the song "Across the Universe." There's one line in particular that really hits the message home: "nothing's gonna change my world." This song is playing while spanning over the differences in their lives. One day you could see the world from an entirely different perspective than the day before. Usually the change is gradual, and we only realize it upon reflection.
I think I'm going to leave with that little nugget of wisdom today. G'night!
