Noise, Travel & A Quick Movie Review

Let's face it, I could probably write a book on noise and another one on travel, but for now, I will keep this brief, as it all relates to a movie I watched tonight.

Noise

We went swimming today at an indoor pool with a wooden ceiling. There were lots of kids there (including mine) and it was loud with echoes of splashing and laughing. For a few minutes, I floated on my back and stared at the wooden ceiling. You know that sound, or lack of it, that you hear when you are underwater? You can hear sounds and even understand what people are saying if they're loud enough. But it's muffled and really easy to tune out. It's nice and peaceful. It's easy to hear yourself think without the distraction of noise. I love this and I need more of it in my life. The ability to block out noise. Like Kevin Costner 'clears the mechanism' in For Love of the Game. My husband coached a basketball player who had a cochlear implant. When he was shooting free throws and the crowd tried to distract him, he would just reach up and click turn them off. I want to mute the world and listen to what's in my soul more often.

Travel

It's just good for the soul. At least, it is good for mine. I love to travel and I'm so grateful that I've had the opportunity to travel to a lot of places in my life. Not as many as some, but more than a lot ever get to do. I love adventure and culture. I love trying new foods and seeing new places. Meeting new people is one of the best things, to me, about traveling. And honestly, the people you meet on a conservative budget are usually a lot more interesting.

The Secret Life of Walter Mitty

Wow. I have wanted to see this movie for a while. Long enough that I was afraid I would be disappointed when I finally watched it. Knowing that Brandon would be on several long flights and this was one of the movies he would probably watch without me (because we hardly ever watch movies together) is what prompted me to watch it. So good.

I don't do the best movie reviews, because there are few movies that I watch and don't like. This one has some really great and inspiring quotes. It's simply creative, touching and the story is beautiful. There are multiple themes that can be extracted, based on the watcher's perspective. I think it's rare to find a movie that is so versatile. The music is also incredible.

My personal favorites: I connected to this film, because it's about Life which was a photojournalism magazine, and when I was younger I wanted to be a photojournalist. I still love taking photographs (which I hardly ever do anymore) and writing (which I'm finally doing more!) My favorite scene was when Walter was longboarding down a winding road in beautiful Iceland. It reminded me of living in Tongyeong, South Korea and going with friends to ride our motor scooters around the island. Exploring an exquisite foreign place, while connecting with the beauty of nature surrounding us and just taking it all in. It's been 8 years and I can still vividly remember the feeling.

To see the world, things dangerous to come to, to see behind walls, draw closer, to find each other, and to feel. That is the purpose of life.

Beautiful things don't ask for attention.