We Could Be Heroes

Good Afternoon Ladies & Gentlemen,

Happy Labor Day everybody!!! Now, last year I told you about the history of Labor Day and how it differs from that of Wikipedia...but basically, the purpose of the holiday was to install a weekday where husbands could spend an evening with their wives & not have other holiday obligations (like Christmas or Thanksgiving), give them a more widely recognized time to switch from white shoes to dark shoes, and also as a tribute to the process of childbirth and child rearing. Ladies, this one's for you!!! Oh...and in case you were wondering where I got this information from...that is a very good question.

Yesterday morning, I watched "The Man in the Iron Mask" starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Gabriel Byrne, Jeremy Irons, Gerard Depardieu, and THE John Malkovich (maybe I'll have to do a Movie List with him one day). It's a retelling of the sequel to "The Three Musketeers" by Alexander Dumas (if I remember my books, which is always a gamble). Basically, King Louis XIV of France (DiCaprio) has a twin brother locked away in a tower...but rebels find out and try to replace him. It's a great tale of Love, Vengeance, Honor, Loyalty, Fighting for What's Right, Heroism, Valour, Betrayal, and all the other great stuff that you'd expect. All for One and One for All. However, my favorite line in the whole movie...is kind of a cheesy one...but I like it. Not to be a spoiler if you haven't seen it, but D'Artagnon (Byrne) and the Queen (Anna Parillaud) are in Love with each other...but it is forbidden (as most good romance novel Love is, right?). "I know that loving you is treason against France, but not loving you is treason against my heart." "Then we shall both die treacherous." I warned ya. Anyway, check it out.

I spent the majority of the day at my dad's and he just wanted to relax, watch movies, and eat a few Colosimo brats on his day off. I wasn't going to argue. It's his house. Flipping through the channels, we watched the last half of "Ghost Ship" starring Julianna Marguiles and Gabriel Byrne (again). It's a horror flick (I think) about an Italian cruiseliner that resurfaces after being lost for forty years...so a salvage team goes to check it out and get PAID on the scrap or whatever they can do with it. Long story short, it's haunted...and everybody wanders off on their own for some reason...and you probably won't hate yourself for missing it. Pretty standard haunted house movie...just wetter.

We then watched the sci-fi classic "The Terminator" which was one of those movies that I was raised on and have seen literally THOUSANDS of times in my life...but I still like it. For those of you who don't know the plot, I'm not going to even bother retelling it because it's probably the most well-known movie plot in the history of cinema. Honestly, think about it. What's the plot of the Godfather? Godfather II? Gone with the Wind? Citizen Kane? Pootie Tang? Doctor Strangelove? Even if you haven't seen it, you know the basic story, right? "Something about a cyborg being sent back through time to kill somebody's mom before he's even born...and wasn't Governor Schwarzenegger in it?" That's the one. Really, Michael Biehn is the star of the show...and he's awesome in that movie, as always. You've probably all seen it. Major difference this time was that it was the digitally restored sound version...and I watched a VHS tape to the point of warping...so the sound of the ricochets, reverbs, and other such action noises was completely different...but still awesome.

Next was the last half of "Idlewild" starring Outkast (Big Boi & Andre Benjamin), Terence Howard, and Paula Patton. A musical (sigh...) set in the Prohibition-era American South, where a speakeasy performer and club manager Rooster (Big Boi) must contend with gangsters (Howard) who have their eyes on the club while his piano player and partner Percival (Dre 3000) must choose between his love, Angel or his obligations to his father. Now, I know it sounds like a chick flick...but the soundtrack is great and the story is actually pretty well told and very entertaining. It's kind of like a Deep South "Moulin Rouge" in a way. Yeah, I'll go with that. I would recommend it if you're into musicals...and Outkast. There's also a great scene in the rain with the two lovebirds...and that was about the time that it really started coming down here in Slick City...so it was like ultimate surround sound...with that wonderful rain smell coming in through the windows...and it was kind of steamy on the screen...so yeah, other than the frustration of the lack of steaminess in my life, it was a pretty good movie. Check it out if you get the chance.

My dad wanted to watch "Transformers" for the umpteenth time, so we did that (never turn down an opportunity to witness Megan Fox) so I'm not going to bore you with that...but after that, I drove home in the rain, walked around in it a little bit (cuz I'm a freak like that), and opened up the windows in my house so that I could get that smell (even though I live next to a pretty major street) into my house. I may have mentioned this before...but I like the rain. I'm probably going to miss it when/if I ever get to Las Vegas...but there's always the shower for a pseudo-rain storm...and if the right company's there with me, that'd make it even better. I walk around, dance around if the mood strikes me, stand around, sing in the rain, make out when the opportunity arises, just love being in the rain. The thing is...then I'll think about something depressing like evacuees in Louisiana because they're getting a big storm their way. Yeah, I just think too much. Sometimes I wish that I could be blissfully unaware of a lot of things...but that's just not my style.

It may also have something to do with my Wanna-Be Hero Nature. From watching a bunch of movies growing up, having a police officer father, a mom who's a sucker for helping people out, and a life of lessons...I just want to be a Hero...but not in the traditional way. No, I don't want to be a Firefighter or Police Officer or a Soldier and put my life on the line every day...and not just because it's dangerous and the money's horrible. I just want to be a Hero...and be there for people in need. Maybe too much sometimes...but I don't regret much. It's made me a better person in either the good or bad case. If somebody's feeling bad or having a bad day, I want to be there to cheer them up or rub their back or whatever or just listen to them and be there for them. If a friend needs help with family drama, I've always got a sympathetic ear and willing to drive them around or whatever if needed. If I see somebody broken down on the side of the road, I'll usually stop and see if they need help...though usually all I can offer is a cell phone or help changing a tire. At work, I'm always willing to help others out when they need time off for family or help with a big project or something. Even silly stuff like holding doors and saying "Bless you!" and acts of chivalry are basically instinct to me. Hell, even in my dreams, I'm always saving people...whether it's from giant snakes, Transformers, or tornados. So in that way, I'm kind of a Hero...but not really.

Would I take a bullet to save somebody? I'd like to think so. If I saw somebody drowning, would I dive in after them? Yeah, I would think so. I'm a pretty good swimmer. Would I fight to protect a loved one? I already have a few times. The thing is though, you don't have to combat evil every day to be a Hero. You just have to be there...and do the right thing...every day. Your actions every day influence so many people in ways that you'll never imagine. Kind words and gestures can make another person's day...and if they're in a good mood, then they'll pass it along throughout their day...and so on. Helping somebody change their tire when they have absolutely no idea what they're doing can not only save them time, frustration, and maybe even Christmas (depending on the time of year, of course) but we've all heard tragedies on freeway shoulders where somebody gets hit trying to fix a tire. Being there for your friends & loved ones will help them through some of the tough times of their life. Unfortunately, a few of my friends & classmates in junior high, didn't think that they could talk to people about...whatever, and took their lives. It's tragic. Absolutely tragic...and basically it's a hormonal breakdown on an epic scale but maybe if they knew they had somebody to talk to, they would be safe and having wonderful families of their own by now. Every action has a reaction that ripples through time and Karma comes back around. That's why I feel like I have friends & family that I can talk to when I'm having a bad day...because I'm there for them. If not, I could end up being this guy in a year...

Some days (like today), I feel like I'm not living up to my potential...like I could be doing so much more...and should be doing so much more. Instead of watching lame movies, working out, and dwelling on Vegas or something, I could be out doing charity work, teaching kids to play basketball, making horrible movies, going out and doing more, helping end world hunger, save Gotham from the gallery of rogues, leap outside my comfort zone, at the very least learning skills or magic or something. I just have no idea what to do or where to start. Heroic, right? Well, until I get that all figured out, I'll be here offering my heroic services of a sympathetic ear, a kind word, and just keeping a watchful eye out for evildoers...or somebody just in need of a hero. Free of charge...for now. Have a great Labor Day everybody!!! Love to all those real Heroes out there like cops, firefighters, and soldiers making the whole world a better place. May you all make it home safely. I'll pray for you. It's the least that I can do.