It's been an emotional ride as of late on a number of fronts. Funny how catharsis comes at the strangest times and in the unexpected places. I stumbled across "Field of Dreams" tonight. And now at the end of the film the waterworks begin. As I've said to some, I was raised on a softball diamond. While in the womb my dad pitched as my mom kept score in the stands. Baseball is deep in the culture of this country, and seems to be in my DNA. I've strayed from the game over the years for a variety of reasons. But FoD really got me tonight. The movie, like the game itself, really isn't about the sport of baseball, but rather loss, reconciliation, and forgiveness.
In a related thread I pondered the balance between honoring our unique nature and feeling a part of the common human condition. We all have fathers, with only the details of the relationship being unique. Probably all of us wish that we had an opportunity to "build it" and have a second chance to have a metaphorical catch with our dad. I suppose that really what we need to do is tear down the walls we've built up over the years, and we'll find the second chance. Because while you don't get do-overs, you can choose how you live today.
And the minimalist theme by James Horner is amazing (sorry, I'm jumping around here...catharsis does that). I entered college as a music major, wanting to score films. I never did "go the distance" on that one, opting for a safer route. Various reasons offered for why that happened, with the fact that I just wasn't in a position to actually feel it being perhaps the most likely. I doubt that I'll get a do-over and end up there, but I'm doing things today that I never really expected, so I guess I won't count anything out. After all, you've go to believe it so you can see it.
