By this age, I should have mastered, which if any, movie or book messages can influence me. There are times though when unwanted impressions are hard to shake.
Did watching Patrick Swayze and Demi Moore in “Ghost” make me believe in visits from beyond? Oh wait, bad example. I believed long before seeing that movie that spirts can communicate with us. Mind you, not to that extent, but that is for another post.
Did watching “The Brave Little Toaster” or “Toy Story” make me believe toys have feelings and can come alive? Certainly not. My mom told me about this when I was a little girl. Don’t judge her parenting skills or think what a horrible thing to put in a child’s head. Her exact words have long disappeared, but I smile at this recollection because it never spooked or haunted me. She would tell me to put my dolls, stuffy’s, and farm animals away nice and neat. Occasionally she added something simple, although maybe suggestive like, would you want to wake up at the bottom of a pile or in a dark corner? I’m sure she was just teaching me to appreciate and treat my things with respect, and it worked. I will not confess or deny if our children heard any similar comments in their youth. Smiley face.
Did watching Alfred Hitchcock’s, “The Birds,” affect me? Darn right it did. It instilled a strong cautiousness harboring near fear which I’ll probably never outgrow. Believe me, visiting a bird sanctuary is not on my list to do.
Why am I babbling about movie messages and how they influence us is because of the 2007 comedy/drama, “Bucket List?” It made those two words a popular phrase, you hear almost every day. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoyed the movie and I get the concept, but I recently realized the phrase, bucket list, bothers me.
I will no longer reference, Bucket list, pertaining to my personal life. I’m switching back to saying, making goals. Goals, has a positivity, a hopefulness, it’s something to strive for and work towards. Checking things off a bucket list is a bit depressing. Oh look, I got one more thing done before… I’d rather say I achieved another goal.
Some of my Goals for 2018.
A big one is, Live by the advice I give others. To not stress and worry about things I don’t and can’t control.
I need to remember, when it comes to our children (actually adults), part of growing is figuring out your own way and learning by the choices. Parents often have opinions which stem from their own experiences, but with youth, as in ours, freedom to follow their own path is necessary.
Not worrying about kids, no matter their age, is impossible. Mister and I try to wait to give suggestions or advice until asked. It’s not that we don’t trust their skills, it’s just sometimes age knows better, or so we think. Another Smiley face.
I will continue to work on when to say something and when not to. I hope our kids realize, it’s not nagging when I say something, or my silence is never because I don’t care. Unbelievable love controls my reactions.
Another goal is, Alzheimer’s sunk its teeth into a sibling last year, so I’m going to keep the sadness that comes with this in check. Instead, enjoy every chance we can spend together and stay positive for that person and their spouse.
Write and read more is a goal ever year.
As always exercise more (with my shoulder healed, get out kayaking again). Eat healthier (occasionally ignoring the snacks that call to me from the pantry) and be productive with planned projects.
Of course, I hope Mister and I can travel this year, take at least one special trip. Our problem is deciding where to go.
In short my 2018 goals are, stress less. Take nothing for granted. Appreciate what I have, not worry about what I don’t, and put even less emphasis on material items. Do things that make me happy. Enjoy every day and spend as much time as I can with family and friends.
Do you set goals or have a Bucket list?
Is there a movie that has influenced your life?
Yeah, I’ve never been a fan of the bucket list as a thing, but I did post about it, ironically, today, using that phrase. Goals sound too work-oriented, lol. But whatever we call them, “just do it” is always the right thing.
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So true, just do it. 🙂
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I don’t really have a movie that was a huge influence, but as a child I loved the book “Black Beauty” and I think it had a deep impact on me. It taught me to always be kind to animals.
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“Black Beauty,” just you mentioning it stirs the positive impact it had on me too. I might be dating myself but I had a 45 record that as you played it you followed along in a picture book. As a young girl, I just about wore that one out and still have it in a keepsake box. 🙂
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I have a copy of it on my bookshelf as we speak….
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Did you like the “Black Stallion” movie?
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I did, but not as well as the book.
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The movie worked pretty good for me. Because, the horse was gorgeous and our kids were at a age when my reading time was very limited but enjoyed watching this movie. 🙂
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This is wonderful, thought-provoking post, Kathy (and it is extremely well-written). I haven’t actively ‘set goals’ in retirement (a result of too much goal setting in my career)! I do try to keep in the forefront of my mind what is important to me….and I do try to live fully in each present moment (‘try’ being the operative word here). My husband and I do have a ‘Places We Want to Travel’ list, that we have been steadily checking off. Thank you for sharing your goals….I just might ‘borrow’ them!
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Thank you, I’m glad you enjoyed it. I can see relaxing setting goals if your career involved the process. Retirement is a time to enjoy, and being present often is the key. 🙂 Keep checking off those places to see. 🙂
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I like seasonal bucket lists or reverse bucket lists which I only recently heard about (where you list what you’ve already accomplished or where you’ve already visited). I think goal setting is important. I’m so glad I never saw The Birds! My favorite movies are based on true stories about courage. I love sports movies such as 42.
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Reversed bucket list sounds interesting, kind of like a gratitude journal. I’m sure it was because I was young and impressionable when I saw the movie, Birds, and that’s why it made such an impact. Sports movies sound safer, and I’ve enjoy the few I’ve seen. 🙂
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I had a boyfriend in high school who had nightmares from watching The Birds. That’s how I knew to stay away from it. 😂
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Good plan. I’m sure I had older brothers who encouraged me to watch it while mom and dad were at work. 🙂 The same ones that told me the Rocky Mountains were sleeping dinosaurs waiting to eat cars. 🙂
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Brothers!
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I have goals but not a “bucket list” I figure if it is something I really want to do I’ll do it! I don’t need to make a list. There have been a couple films that have made an impression on me. The original Dr. Doolittle film with Rex Harrison – they decided where to travel by opening the atlas and closing their eyes and marking a spot. I think that is a wonderful way to plan a destination!
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So true, if something is important enough we can usually get them done. I’m a lister. 🙂 We have pulled a holiday destination from a hat before. 🙂
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A wonderful list I would say!
I watched a lot of movies but will have to think of which ones really influenced me. Schlinder’s list was a powerful one! Sound of Music is my all time favorite!
I do have many goals. Writing and reading more is one of them as well! And my hubby and I want to travel too!!
Sorry about your sibling with Alzheimer’s. Such a hard disease for the ones loved ones to go through! You are so right, cherish the moments!
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Thanks. I agree Schlinder’s List was powerful. There has been many moving films. Sound of Music is such a classic. One can’t go wrong with reading and writing more, and I hope your plans to travel come true. 🙂
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I have a ton of goals, but nothing really out of the ordinary. My bucket list is to visit all 50 states. I’m about halfway there. I love movies, but I can’t say anything really influenced me, except maybe the shining, which scared me so much I won’t see a Stephen king movie
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Good luck with visiting all 50 states, that would be a neat achievement. 🙂 You’re lucky movies don’t influence you. I think Stephen King movies and books have caused a few people nightmares. The son and I read a lot of his stuff. 🙂
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I think I might see Ohio this year….if we can mix it up with colleges. Also, though I’ve driven through Georgia, have never actually been there, but I think my daughter wants to look at Emory, so we’ll see…
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I’ve been to thirty some states, but not Ohio or Georgia. Hope you get to these and blog about it. 🙂 Which is your favourite State you’ve visited so far.
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Loved Hawaii. We went to big island, Oahu and Maui. Just spectacular. Also loved Utah. We did Bryce and Zion and absolutely fell in love.
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We’ve been to the big island of Hawaii. We went to see the lava flow, but it wasn’t active at the time. Some freak thing happened, go figure. 🙂 We’ve talked about trying one of the other islands, Maui is one of them. Which between Oahu or Maui did you like best. Bryce and Zion are beautiful, along with the Grand Canyon. Pictures don’t do them justice. 🙂
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I think Maui is more picturesque and more laid back. We didn’t stay in Waikiki which is sort of like Vegas on the beach without gambling, we stayed about 15 minutes from there, so our oahu experience was a little more sedate. The north shore was cool….my daughter took surfing lesson. And of course Pearl Harbor was inspiring. Both great experience. I could not believe how gorgeous Utah was…you’re right….so much more spectacular in person!
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Thanks for the advice. 🙂 Pearl Harbor is one thing we would like to see.
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I think I like “Goals” rather than “Bucket List” too. But (there’s always one of those, right?) I like the concept of not putting things off “until later.” I think having a bucket list can encourage people to go out and do the things they have always wanted to do.
I’m not sure any movies have influenced my life but a few movies set in interesting locations have influenced some of my travel plans.
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You’re right, putting something on a bucket list maybe does give it more urgency. I agree, we have visited places because we’ve seen them in movies or shows.
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No, no and I don’t think so although those old Beach Girl movies made me want to move to California. Sadly I didn’t. Sounds like you are approaching 2018 with a logical and realistic set of expectations. That always works best.
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Seeing locations in movies can really be hard to resist. 🙂 Logical and realistic can sometimes be hard for me, but I’m going to try. 🙂
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