Hey universe — where is my ‘O Brother” moment?
Not sure about you — but I never really liked Clooney as a young actor. However, ‘O Brother Where Art Thou’ was a turning point in my admiration for George C. “This guy can really act!” I remember saying to myself.
My favourite scene from Oh Brother (there are many), but my fav was near the end when they have snuck into the political rally dressed as musicians (not really to sing) … but when his pals start in on “I am a Man of constant sorrows”. Clooney races to the mic to sing his part thinking he needs to keep up the appearance of being a musician…only to be greeted with a frenzied audience going completely wild. His face — completely stunned — had no idea how/why all these people are going nuts for a song they had recorded just to get a few dollars.
That WTF look on Clooney’s face is riveting.
They had no idea the song was a massive hit on the radio. They were just going about their business of daily survival from the law, ‘si-reens’, the clan and con men.
So Life…where is my ‘Oh Brother” moment? Have you ever asked this question? Or some form of it?
I am at a point in my like, (not too far from sixty) where the past couple of years have been hell compared to the previous 10–15. Yet I have persevered and found ways to develop online courses and resources (even a fledgling YouTube channel) for educators around the globe. My interactive E-book featuring LGBTQ characters is still waiting to get picked up by a publisher and I am in more debt and making less per month than I have ever been in my life trying to produce these resources.
Did I produce them just to get some form of big payoff? Absolutely not! Creating these types of courses and videos is what feeds my soul. OK Jeff (the stoic in me then says) why are you asking the universe for payment if it feeds your soul? Ahhhh and we once again hit the crossroads for deeply held beliefs & philosophies with meeting daily needs and avoiding con men politicians.
One of the many Alan Watts (many blogs to come) Zen analogies hit me like a ton of bricks the other day. It goes something like this: A father holds his closed fist in front of his crying child. The child becomes distracted and starts to try and pry open the fist to see what might be inside. After much pulling, pushing and hitting the fist the frustrated child begins to cry again. The father eventually opens his fist to a stunned child who sees it is empty.
The Zen story says I am a fool for thinking (believing) life will produce a ‘goody at some point that allows me to say ‘I am fulfilled’. The Stoic says my true reward should come from the work/value I provide. So is the “O Brother” message a myth? Is the ‘Alchemist’ (one of my top-5 all time reads) idea of a personal legend also a myth?
Yes, I am feeling a bit like Sisyphus in the title image, but, maybe it is all a matter of perspective.
What say you?
