On Tuesday night, Carol and I went to see a movie at a friend’s house. Since we were seeing Cameron Crowe’s nearly autobiographical, rock and roll film “Almost Famous” we took Rachel along, telling her that she’d love it. Carol and I had seen the theatrical version a few years ago and really liked it as a coming of age story set in the seventies. This time we ended up seeing the Director’s Cut at a whopping two hours and forty-two minutes, but it was still very good. When I was growing up, my conservative nature negatively colored my view of many potentially rewarding experiences. The movie makes me wish I had been a bit less stuffy and more free-spirited as I grew up.
After it was over we asked Rachel what she thought. To our shock, my daughter, who is smart, very tolerant of others and much more open than I was as a teen, hated it. She said she didn’t like the characters, didn’t like what the characters were doing, didn’t like anything that was happening and didn’t care about anyone or anything in the movie. As we talked about it, it was with some surprise that I realized that had I seen “Almost Famous” at her age, I would have felt exactly the same way. I would have been disapproving of pretty much everything that happened. The story wouldn’t have caused me a wistful envy, but disdain. Rachel shares more of my naturally conservative nature than I had realized.
I can’t decide whether to be extremely proud or appalled.
6 comments:
It is Ok Bob,
There is still collage for your little ones to let their hair down, smoke dope, get tattoos and do any number of things that will leave you wide awake at night in a cold sweat.
I think being overly stuffy as a young person enables you to more truly appreciate the sense of freedom you experience, once you throw off the inhibitions and begin to have fun. By that time, all your contemporaries are slowing down and you're feeling like a kid again. So youth isn't necessarily wasted on the young!
...and don't ask me how I know this...
Yeah, the Rev, I wasn't actually thinking about any of the specific things you mentioned. I said a little more free-spirited, not decadent. :-)
Volly, I think you're right.
It is not to late for you to get our tattoo either. How about a nice Star Trek logo or 2112? :)
Typically, people are more liberal when they are young and grow more conservative as they age. You are doing the reverse. Interesting.
I went right from high school, to college to marriage to law school. I don't regret where I ended up at all. But I do wish I had traveled more, spent six months in Europe or Japan, gotten involved in some cause, done more theater. Stuff like that.
If I were to get a tatoo now, it would almost certainly be game-related.
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