I remember that I've always liked being read to. I love stories, can't get enough of them. But when I read for myself I feel like my imagination doesn't get to run free because I have to read the words, connect the sentences and thoughts, and then picture it. I guess my brain isn't hardwired that way.
But, if I watch the movie before I read the book, if I can get a picture of who the character is, what he/she looks like and how said person operates, the words come to life. However, still, being read to has always been the best way for me to visualize a story being told. My parents read to me a lot when I was little, until I became a butthead and wanted to be independent telling them they were bad at reading, and boring me, and they said okay, I won't read to you anymore. This was also the reason why I started doing my own laundry. Many things in my life happened to me, and many milestones may have been reached a little early because of my personal buttheadedness.
So, I hadn't been read to for a while. But, in 7th grade, my English teacher read S.E. Hinton's novel The Outsiders to us, ten minutes at a time at the end of class. I couldn't get enough of it. I always paid attention in class (when I wasn't admiring girls from a distance in my own subtle way (probably wasn't so subtle though in reality) or causing trouble by being mouthy or the aforementioned buttheadedness I'm known for. I loved that book, and have read it several times since, something which I can only say for a few books (James and the Giant Peach, Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings, A Tale of two Cities, A Christmas Carol, Boy).But......I always hated the movie. I couldn't figure out why. It had Tom Cruise pre-Katie Holmes Scientology psycho, Emilio Estevez (whom many kids like me loved from Mighty Ducks), Macchio the Karate Kid, Diana Lane, Matt Dillon and Swayze. Sounds awesome right there doesn't it, a great cast and an amazing director. But I hated it, it didn't seem to have the feel of the book, a lot of things didn't seem right about it, and I never watched it again.
Until.....what you thought I was done? Until I saw it in a dump bin at Wal-Mart in Juneau for $5, with the subheading "The Complete Novel" under the title, which lead me to think that it was a director's cut of the movie, and maybe something worth watching. I watched it today, and wow I was blown away, it was like watching a brand new movie. Important things from the book were put back in and it really completed the story in a way that is much closer to the book than other movies I've ever seen adapted from books. How amazing to finally see a movie completed the way it should have been 27 years ago. The best addition is a completely new score, moving away from the depressing soundtrack to an awesome rock-a-billy, 50's era rock that really finally adds to the feel of the story instead of distracting and depressing.
When I watched Johnny Cade today telling Ponyboy Curtis to stay gold, a scene which often brought me to tears in the book, but sucked in the movie, for the first time ever on scree the lesson of holding on to the outlook of a child, enjoying the world around us and appreciating them with the wonder and faith of a child, hit home and struck an emotional chord.
I've been going through a few disappointments lately in my life, nothing big, but they add up sometimes and really have been weighing on me and depressing me. I keep up my devotions, I keep up my prayers, I don't give up, and normally I feel much better by now. But today, when I heard the instruction to stay gold, it was reminding me to look at life with the outlook and even the faith of a child, where everything is new, an adventure, a gift, a chance to learn, to laugh, and to have fun all in one day. It reminded me of my attitude, which can too often go the wrong way. I lost the gold, wonder and excitement these past few days, and I shouldn't have. I'm blessed, I'm challenged, I'm loved, I'm called to a wonderful life that I haven't been appreciating for the past few days.
So today, I'm thankful for Johnny Cade, the reminder to stay gold, to keep the faith and wonder and excitement of a child, even as an adult soon entering his late 20's. I can't be a kid anymore, but I can hold onto purity and excitement, adventure and faith of a child. I watch the sun setting now, which the past few days have reminded me of another hard day tomorrow, and now see instead the beautiful hues around me and the chance to begin again tomorrow, and to do it better, to do everything better. Do I choose to be green with envy, red with anger, blue with disappointment, or gold with appreciation and innocence and wonder? I'm going to choose to stay gold.BLT says......stay gold.
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