Ideas

Have you ever had so many ideas in your head you don't know where to start?

There are so many things rolling around in my brain right now. New ideas for music. Plans for decorating our house. Visions for ministry. Story lines for scripts. It's all getting a bit jumbled and overwhelming.

The annoying thing is that when I feel like this, instead of pushing forward, I retreat. I feel so overwhelmed, I don't know where to start. So instead of just picking something and going with it, I do nothing, hoping that somehow I'll be told what to do. Maybe it's time to jump in the deep end and see what happens.

Or maybe I'll wait 'til tomorrow...

Mystery

Why do we hate mystery?

Oh, sure, we love a good mystery story every now and then, but we have to have all the loose ends neatly tied and all questions answered by the end. If not we feel disappointed or frustrated. Or we eagerly anticipate the sequel (or prequel) that will explain everything. And yet, all too often, continuing the story to answer all the questions winds up making things worse. (Godfather 3, anyone?)

I'm a big Star Wars fan and I have actually been debating on how to show my kids the series. If I show them the prequels first, the big reveal in Episode V loses all its impact. But at the same time, the shock of Anakin's fall and betrayal in the prequels wasn't as dramatic for me, knowing the outcome already. (Then again, maybe that has to do with the sub-par storytelling of the prequels) Or maybe I shouldn't show them at all and leave that era of the Star Wars story a mystery for them to enjoy. Ah, the debates that rage through the mind of a nerd...

The series Lost is a great example of our wrestling match with mystery. Some people have been frustrated by all the mysteries, and the lack of answers to many of the questions. But if there were no overshadowing mysteries, would the show be as interesting? When I first heard about the concept for the show, I didn't think it would last more than a season. Who wants to watch a bunch of people stuck on a deserted island? Doesn't Survivor already do that? It's the supernatural, mysterious elements that make the show worth watching. I just hope they end the show when it is time and don't just string out a bunch more questions to keep the show on life support, ala X-Files.

I think there is a certain beauty in the mystery. I think life would be boring if we had all the answers. Isn't life more interesting one step at a time? Would you live your life the same way if you knew how everything was going to turn out? Or would knowing the outcome change your decisions?

Here's to a little more mystery!

Brazil

I finally got around to watching the film Brazil, by Terry Gilliam. I have always enjoyed Gilliam's work and this one was probably one of his best. Granted, I saw a director's cut and several of his films have been reportedly ruined by studio meddling, but it seemed to be his best executed film. Everything really flowed and made sense in that bizarre Terry Gilliam way. The film seemed complete, whereas some of his others seem to be missing something once you get to the end.

I also enjoyed the story and world that he created. His idea of a future where information is commodity, privacy is non-existent, and bureaucracy reigns supreme is disturbingly prescient. The excessive security enacted to combat terrorism is the very complaint many have lodged against the Patriot Act. For anyone who has had "contraband" confiscated at the airport, there is a hilarious scene when the main character and his mother enter a restaurant and the gift she has bought him triggers an alarm.

The story is a wonderfully tragic tale, echoing the classic greek tragedies, where the main character, in order to avoid the thing he dreads, sets off a chain of events that bring his fear to fruition. It all leads to an ending that is so brilliant and off-beat, that you can't think of a better one. And of course, I'll never be able to listen to Pink Martini quite the same again...