Dear Reader,
Having deleted the previous two, this marks my third attempt to write this post, not counting the number of times I've wiped paragraphs or the whole page clean. As a writer, it's easy to find a theme and put a story into the perspective of the main character. Real life? Not so much. How does one describe the past year or two years or recent handful? Challenging? Depressing? Mind-boggling? Chaotic? Insane???
I can't speak for the world, but, as for me, it feels that I've been lingering in a state of limbo for the longest time, unsure whether I was waiting for peace or apocalypse. Overwhelmed, I remain frozen like a deer caught in the headlights, or Lot's wife as she turned to gaze at the destruction behind her. Seeking solace, I turn to things that make me happy and to doing things that make me happy, and it just so happens that my favorite things as a child are still my favorite things.
So far, during the Christmas holidays, I have been visiting family, watching Christmas movies, playing games, and even putting together a Christmas puzzle. I meant to make some Christmas treats and even bought the Rice Krispies, but I ate those. So, I bought another box. I ate that one, too. Then I saw a box of Fruity Pebbles WITH marshmallows, which sounded like the best of three worlds. I'm now halfway through the box. I'm trying to cut back on Lucky Charms.
I finished the second season of The Witcher, which, after the first episode, comes across as political and focusing on racism. I wish that writers knew that these political agendas destroy good shows and lose fans. The first episode was very interesting with a Beauty-and-the-Beast character who has been cursed. While his magic is not explained (or, if it was, I missed it), it is humorous to watch him call for things that appear out of thin air and drop down around him. Until you find the reason for the curse at the end, he's a very likeable character. However, after that episode, there was very little about the show that was actually memorable. I would like to see more of the main character doing what he does best rather than being a platform for politics. I don't tune in to watch The Witcher to see elf refugees, elf discrimination, and war politics, however noble the agenda. I tune into fantasy shows for one reason and one reason only: escape and Henry Cavill. Aside from the first episode, the best moment is when he realizes Yennifer is alive and sees her again, except the series is so bogged down in politics that I had FORGOTTEN that he didn't know she was alive by then, much less remember that she didn't even know that HE was alive. (BTW, between this show and Outlander, the writers could figure out better reunion scenes. The payoff is a bit subtle.) Anyway, how many people playing the game would continue if they had to stop playing to listen to endless videos about clan politics? Game of Thrones and Rise of Phoenixes both made political machinations very interesting, but both of those series ended very badly, due to politics, so I'm just saying.... Fantasy + Politics = Unhappy Ending. There was no charm like the first season. The bard is bitter and angry. The Princess is a predictable, rebellious hero wannabee. The Witcher himself manages to murder a monster or two the whole season, but, unfortunately (thanks to the writers), he plays a background paper doll character while other characters keep interfering with the story that viewers really want to watch. The mages are still involuntarily entangled in politics that even they find boring, as do the viewers. 😩
As does the world.
Which makes me wonder, why does Hollywood write shows that only remind us of the problems we seek to escape? Did someone somewhere forget the definition of escapism? I'm a huge fan of escapism, but, if left up to the political powers that be, even that would be neutered and ineffective. Why does every "epic" fiction turn into chaotic destruction, courtesy of "real life" world politics? It's not thrilling. It's not engaging. It's grueling. Since when did entertainment seek to be grueling?
In AP English, we studied themes and metaphors, and in the earliest books I read about writing, I learned that it was bad writing to "preach" to readers because people resist, and it's boring. You have to wrap the point up in a story, like a fable. It's like tricking your dog to take his medicine by wrapping the pill up in meat. I mean, what child recognized Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer as a story about discrimination? These days, there's no story, and we watch a thinly disguised production of the same chaos we seek to escape. Sure, it's wearing fake glasses, but we still recognize that it's not a creative plot but just real life in a phony disguise. Where is the seduction to draw us in and guide us gently to accept the idea? With seduction being completely absent, it appears that the new device is to shock or scare viewers into accepting the lesson. So, basically, these days, theater has the finesse of a used car commercial during the news—the kind that screams so loud that you have to hit the mute button.
Bottom line: If you want a real escape plan, you're going to have to create it yourself, so gather up your imaginary friends and a glue stick.
While being a bit of a rant about politics in the movies and everywhere, it kind of sums up how I feel about the past year or few in general. So, let's move on to the good stuff, shall we?
I tried to watch the new Home Alone sequel, but only made it about five minutes into the story before being turned off by it. The first two movies were the best, so you're better off watching those over and over again than trying to recreate the same success in a post-apocalyptic version. I could tell just by the intro that the quality was not up to the standard of the first two movies. They've played with labels of who is good and who is bad, making them a lot more ambiguous (the victim is punished), and the rudeness has been turned up to a Category 5. If you enjoy watching undereducated millionaires argue on Jerry Springer, it might be the show for you.
I know. I said "good stuff." I'll try harder.
However, I did actually enjoy Cruella. I had my doubts before seeing it, but it was actually very cute. It's less of a story about why she became a villain and more of an alternate retelling where no puppies were harmed. While I'm not sure if all of the technology used in the film was actually available in the late 60s, the movie had a decent, albeit anachronistic, soundtrack.
Edit: I forgot to mention that I also enjoyed Netflix's Love Hard, a Christmas-themed romantic comedy about the mostly downs of internet dating. It stars Vampire Diaries' Nina Dobrev. Rated TV-MA, there is language, but I thought the show was hilarious.
I watched a cute movie on Hallmark called Next Stop, Christmas. It's about a girl who goes back in time to Christmas ten years prior, and the cast includes Christopher Lloyd and Lea Thompson. Who knew Christopher Lloyd and Lea Thompson would ever star together in a movie about time travel, right?!? Didn't see that one coming. I also enjoyed A Castle for Christmas on Netflix, the new movie starring Brooke Shields and Cary Elwes. The two movies, both new this year, seem to demonstrate an emphasis on nostalgia.
Maybe it's the seriousness of these times or that the powers that be are just now publicly admitting that things really were better made in the past, but nostalgia is HUGE right now, whether it's in movies with our 80s celebs, remakes of vintage toys, or everything that was previously considered out of fashion being hawked on eBay, Etsy, and Mercari at rising prices. My favorite things are suddenly (and annoyingly) trendy, and they're even now making knockoffs of the remakes of classics that were made a century or two ago. The bad news is that the quality isn't there, but the price isn't any better than the antique. I noticed "Rock 'Em Sock 'Em" robots in Walmart the other day. The classic children's movies Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer and Santa Claus is Coming to Town have gone premium, being only available early on ABC (mostly in November) with near-Christmas broadcasts being only available to watch with a cable subscription if you don't purchase or rent them elsewhere.
On a related topic, I do have a few regrets. These are things I wish I had done, but didn't think to do.
1. I wish I had written down all of the stories my older relatives and neighbors told me about their pasts. I don't mean personal relationship disputes or anything; I mean about things that happened to them and things that were different about their lives compared to now. You will not always remember them. I must have heard my grandfather tell me the same stories over and over about 'possum hunting with his many brothers or riding the horse up into the school house during a town meeting, but you might not remember the details later. My parents' generation has been a witness to more change than any other before or after. They were born when most people didn't have a car and still used a horse and wagon for transportation, but now have hand-held mini computers. They saw the end of the Great Depression and a World War. Whether they tell you stories or just the mundane details about Christmas traditions or going shopping at a store that is no longer in business, write it down. I wish I had written down all of the things that my relatives said but are no longer around to repeat. Keep their recipes and the stories that go with them.
2. I also regret that, when my children or I received a gift, whether it's Christmas or birthday or no-particular-reason, that I didn't write it down. I wish I had kept a gift journal: what it was, the occasion, the date, the person, etc. I have things that I have no idea when I got them or from where. If it's a gift, it's kind of an insult to the giver to not remember them. So, get a special notebook or journal and write it down. If you don't remember the giver, it's not a gift; it's just a thing occupying space and collecting dust. The most important thing about a gift is the giver.
One of the travesties of commercialism is that things change for the sake of change. Old favorites are discarded by companies who want to give their line a fresh new look. I think that the emphasis on nostalgia is, ironically, a revolution against unnecessary change. A look back at happier times, finding magic in a plastic reindeer or a shopping expedition to Sears before there were malls, when the fragrance of the popcorn meant we were getting closer to the candy station where we always stopped. Then the malls came, and I remember shopping at the Swiss Colony stores in the mall, and Mom usually bought the liquor-flavored hard candy, which was kind of funny since Mom is a teetotaller. 😹But that candy was good! I think the gin was my favorite.
Along those same lines, I have noticed myself and others in my age bracket buying toys and things that we cherished when we were kids but lost. In an earlier post A Doll Story, I wrote about the doll that was given by my grandmother and how I went looking for one like it recently. I have talked to others who have fond memories of things they had as children and were looking for a replacement. My sister recently bought a toy piano that reminded her of the ones we had as children. It's not just the things, but also the memories that come with them, whether these are the exact same objects, ones just like them, or something similar to the ones we had as children.
I have managed to get a little painting in so far, and I have been trying to work on other projects, as well. It's a strange year; although Christmas Day has past, our families have still not had Christmas yet. We'll be still celebrating in January. I went by one store on Monday, and they were already stocking for Saint Patrick's Day. I guess Valentine's Day is over already, too? Although December 25 was created in 325 AD as an immovable feast by Emperor Constantine, since we know it was not the actual birthday of Christ (I've seen where several say that it was September with some saying it was 9/11, some 9/23, and some on Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish Near Year, which is somewhat of a moveable feast, being based on the moon, not to mention various arguments about which calendar is correct), we feel free to celebrate as time allows due to expanding families placing a strain on the calendar.
Even so, there's this feeling of "overness" in regard to the holiday at home. The tree is still lit up and presents still waiting to be wrapped, but it feels as if the holiday is over. It's been a strange year.
Looking forward, I have a lot of plans, but I want to continue to emphasize the things that I love doing... reading, writing, making things, etc. I can't fix the world, but I can work on me, and I can make things. So, I plan to be more creative in the new year and to try to finish up some projects, as long as production is not a vibe killer. 😸 I finished the painting above last weekend, and I'm still working on other requested oil paintings for family. Hopefully, 2022 will bring more joys than 2021 and far less, um... things that aren't joyful.
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