The Book Of Eli.
Now, the movie has gotten mixed reviews. Some people called it a waste of their money or a waste of "An hour of my life" I am not one of those people. I honestly thought the movie was beautifully filmed and taken to a different world completely. I tried watching the movie while I was doing homework when someone recommended that I shouldn't and that I should pay full attention to the movie or it wouldn't mean anything. So I took a personal day on Wednesday and did just that, perfect advice.
The film follows Eli, a survivor of a new era in which the world is burned and scarred. Throughout the movie he is shown to be fully capable of defending himself and saving others as long as he stays true to his path, now what exactly is this path? You notice Eli has been reading a book along his journey which you later find out to be the Bible. It turns out that the world was taken into a war in which the result was a hole in the sky being opened and the sun burning everything in sight. Only those who hid underground were the one's that would live to breathe a new day. Obviously this is referencing a third world war, nuclear attack and a hole in the o-zone layer.
Anyways, religion was thrown out of the picture right after war took place, people blamed Religion and made it their business to find and destroy every piece of literature pertaining to Religion itself, i.e The Bible, etc.
Eli has in his position a King James Bible and throughout his journey he comes across the dictator of a small town known as Carnegie. Carnegie has the complete urge to find and obtain any Biblical source, not because he want's to destory it, but because he himself wants to read it and remember his childhood. The movie ends with Carnegie getting the Bible only to find out it is all in Brail. Eli himself was the new King James Bible, having memorized everything in it himself you realize he is a religious figure. He verbally dictates the teaching of the Bible to a man who has made it his life to find literature for the new world order, itself being the first Bible now in the world.
I'm pretty sure I didn't really detail my description enough, but honestly there was too much to even think about writing and I'm sure I'd pretty much butcher it anyways. The filming was. Amazing. The acting was. Amazing. Mila Kunis (Meg Griffin, Jackie from "That 70's show") Played her first dramatic role and was. Amazing. The concept. Amazing. Everything. Amazing. It was not. Was not. A waste of an hour and fifty minutes to me, if anything it opened my eyes to a new experience.
I realized I should get more in touch with my heritage and what it relates to with Religion, or I should study. I just want to know more about it in general and I don't really know how to obtain that. So I contacted my grandmother and this is what she said.
"Well Douglas, you're of Catholic decent, but that has nothing to do with it. All the Religions are incredibly beautiful and I find them to be outstanding, I just found Catholic to be the beautiful one for me. Now I pray to six saints before I go to sleep, but there is one specific Saint that I pray to every night, he in a sense is our family saint. Saint _____. Now there's a reason behind this, your Uncle Ray when he was born had a very very bad type of illness. He as in infant had five pounds of water weight and we were told he wouldn't survive. I prayed to that Saint and then one day his illness just disappeared. Your uncle has lived a beautiful life so far without serious illness and you yourself have witnessed that. He spoils you and treats you as his son. Now, if you want to come over once a week, I can teach you what I know, but remember, you were baptized so you are a Catholic even without your communion, but if you begin your study, you can't give up. You'll never be able to marry in a church without your communion."
Now I really thought about this. I don't want to be tied down unless I'm ready for that sort of thing, but I just found it incredibly interesting how my Uncle's illness disappeared and my Grandmother tied that to her faith.
I have Rosery, a Saints bracelet, a model Crucifix, all of these things are in my room in some place and I've never taken them down because well, I don't feel like I should. I feel like I should represent my heritage and be proud and safe by it and that's what confuses me.
The Book of Eli in a sense kindled the want to know more about my heritage and more about what my Grandmothers Religion has done to influence her life and my family's.
Everywhere I go
Tuesday at Martial arts was a toughie. I had to teach and then my Sensei taught the last class of the night and what a work out that was. At the end of class he was talking about building warriors and I knew it was coming.
"Doug, this kid was weak when he first came. I'd yell at him and he'd cry, I'd flick him, he'd cry. Now look at him! I can break a 2 x 4 on this kid and he's not even 18 yet! This kid is a machine, he'll keep going and I made him that way! If there was war in the streets, sure I'd be ready to snap someones neck, but I'd want Doug right there with me, because out of all the people here, I know I could count on him to protect himself and everyone else. He. Is. A. Weapon."
I don't really know how I feel about that. Sure I have confidence in my Martial Arts and frankly that has NOTHING to do with my titles or state championships. I know that if I were attacked, I'd defend myself to the death protecting whoever and myself, sure. A weapon? I just don't think of myself like that, I mean is that what I became? A weapon? Is that what's going to happen to me? I'm just going to fight and win until the day I die? What about art?
My Sensei has gone to the point to ban dance, or art from me at the Dojo. I'm not allowed to do any of it or discuss it with anyone. Not to mention there was a point on Tuesday where we were doing a technique and he called me out and said
"You're losing your kicks because of dance."
I'm losing my kicks? That has nothing to do with dance, not to mention didn't he think I was terrible at dance anyways? I'm so confused, every thing I do is a bit twisted in the dojo currently, I'm either wrong or wrong or very wrong when it comes to my Sensei but as soon as my mom walks in he immediately puts his arm around me and goes
"This is MY boy".
My mom in the car was furious, she's very fed up with that family for some reason.
"His Boy, HIS boy? I should've said 'No, he's MY boy'"
"Mom... It's okay."
"No it's not, you're MY boy!"
I have no idea why my mom is getting angry with that.... I'll just have to let it play out and see where I go with it.
Things have been happening lately and honestly, I think they're highlights. I got cast in Cabaret(Third year in a row) and the cast was shortened. I knew I'd get in, but there's always some sort of small thing in the back of my mind that fills me with doubt JUST in case I happen to not make the cut. I'm proud of myself and glad I made it.
Now here's the big thing. I'm in a relationship. How wonderful and amazing is that?
"If you stop looking for someone, they'll eventually find you."
This is so true, we happened to stumble upon each other and honestly... I can't get enough. They're one of the greatest things in my day and I love spending time with them, they make me incredibly happy. They're sweet and smart and caring and ugh, time flies by with them and I never get enough. I'm not allowing. Not. Allowing. Any outside force to stop or hinder my relationship and they agreed as well. I'm just glad they took the leap and kissed me or we would never be where we were today. They just put a smile on my face. When I'm with them, my heart picks up very quickly and they even noticed.
"Mr. Heart beat..."
I don't just put that in my poetry, you know.
"I love when I can hear your heartbeat."
Had to be the most sensual, adorable thing I'd heard. It was amazing and I'm glad I have them. We're going to continue to be happy together and nothing is going to change that.
I'm apparently a very optimistic person if you didn't notice!
Adieu------- Sayonara!
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