Anyone who knows me well
knows that my favorite movie is The Shawshank Redemption. To me, it
is as close to a perfect movie that one could watch. It has that rare
ability to draw the viewer in emotionally and intellectually. For me
at least it puts a lot of perspectives on the way I view life into
visual depictions. The movie is full of quotable that apply to the
everyday grind that life can some times be. The tag-line for the
movie is: Fear Can Keep You Prisoner, Hope Can Set You Free. The
whole movie is built on hope. As Andy states to Red (Morgan Freeman)
“Hope is a good thing, maybe the best, and no good thing ever
dies.” We're all hopeful of so many things in life. Some of them
may be tangible things that we can physically admire and appreciate,
while others are more internal accomplishments that can only be
measured by our own mind and will. There is one thing that I hope for
I make the right choice of everyday, and it happens to be another
quote that is synonymous with me and the movie. That choice happens
to be whether or not I “Get Busy Living, or Get Busy Dying”
What does it mean to live?
Shoot I could go on forever about the physiological and psychological
theories that are attributed to living. What does is mean to be
dying? Once again I could answer that in a physical sense or a mental
sense. Currently I am taking a course on Therapy for individuals and
families dealing with death, loss, and grief. Definitely a heavy
topic to be discussed and read about week in and week out. The first
week of class we were all handed a piece of paper and art supplies to
draw out what our concept of death was. We each had the opportunity
to share what we drew, and how it is attributed to our own perception
of death. My drawing was quite simple. I drew a headstone that stated
“Andrew Joseph Quesnelle November 13th, 1991 -” My
explanation for it was that in life we only have one guarantee, and
that guarantee is that we are all going to die one day. It is the
only certainty that exists, yet it is the most uncertain reality in
the world for most of us. Death to me isn't highlighted by the date
that will one day conclude that headstone, but the dash that exists
in between. Our lives will all one day be measured by the dash. One
simple character defines a life we carried out, the things we've
accomplished, and the people we loved. All of that lies behind a
single dash.
Is “getting busy living”
a measurable thing? I don't know, because each one of us hold a
different perspective on what it means to live a successful life. Is
it achieved through financial and educational triumphs? Is a life
that has been “lived” measured by the minutes and breaths that
are taken? To me, it's a conscious decision to build upon what you've
already written, and watching the seeds sprout to fruition. Perhaps
that is a tad too poetic, but in actuality that’s how I feel I
accomplish living life. Learning from what I've already done. Never
being content in one spot, and always being willing to challenge
myself to grow and watch the leaves of life sprout out from the
ground.
All that being said, does
that answer why I chose to become a social worker when I undoubtedly
have the mental capacity to pursue much more lavish careers? Does it
answer why I am in the relationships with friends and family the way
I am today? Maybe. What I can answer though is that I am glad I have
the life I do, and I'm glad I am surrounded by the people who are in
my life. One promise that I can make is that I believe I am living my
life in a way that I am meant to. No matter what short comings or
downfalls come at me, I've got an awful lot to live for. In the end,
that “dash” is a good of reason as any to get busy living,
because in the end death is a certainty; so make life a priority.
