Saturday, January 26, 2013

Animation Intervention

                This semester I brought my family’s old VHS player to school.  My roommate and I both have a huge collection of Disney tapes from when we were younger, and we wanted (no needed) a more variety of movies to watch.  Now, I know what you’re thinking: “Why are college-age girls spending their time watching movies meant for 3-5 year old kids?”  Well, I’ll tell you!  I honestly never realized how much there is to learn from these classic movies.  When I was younger these films served the sole purpose of entertaining me so that I didn’t bother my parents.  Now, these movies don’t only relieve school stress by filling my mind with childhood innocence and simplicity, but they also teach me necessary life lessons that I sometimes forget in my ‘adult’ life.  I'm honestly dumb-founded when I watch one of these movies and learn something new each time.  By watching these videos we are reminded of simple childhood lessons that we don’t realize the impact of until we've grown to the age where these movies aren't the norm.  My roommate and I decided to end our first week of classes by watching A Bug’s Life.  It was a great end to the week, and it reminded me of a few lessons that I needed to be reminded of.  Let’s call it an...

Animation 
Intervention.

                The first lesson I learned from the movie was one that I've recently had, I guess, experience with.  This lesson was shown in the main character Flik.  Flik was an outcast because he was seen as different.  This ‘difference’ was because he thought about and saw things differently than the other ants.  Throughout the story it became apparent that the other ants didn’t want Flik around because his characteristics and ideas were opposite of the ‘normal’ ant.  In the end, though, Flik’s different ideas saved the ants.  Being different shouldn't be seen as ‘wrong’, but instead, it should be seen as AWESOME.  Honestly though, being the same as everyone else is way overrated.  Everyone was created differently and individually, so why don't we just embrace it?  The sad thing is, however, that it isn't very easy in this society to be ourselves, which should be the easiest thing for everyone to do.  Sometimes, different is confused with inferior.  It’s sad; and frankly, I believe I grew up in a place where it happened almost every day.  When someone was different they were usually seen by people as either crazy or weird.  I hate to say it, but I was one of them.  I honestly didn’t believe that being ‘different’ was OKAY until I moved away. At Wesleyan, I've met such a variety of people with different characteristics and traits that I was never exposed to in the past.  Since I've moved here, I have learned and decided to embrace my individuality, and I want to challenge everyone to do that.  There's a reason God added a little something different in everyone.  If you want to make a change in the world, you have to embrace the change that God made in you and everyone else.
                The second lesson I learned is kind of being shown through the use of this blog.  First, I’ll explain the lesson as it was shown in the movie.  At the beginning of the film, Flik attempts to help out a discouraged ant named Dot.  Dot feels that because she is only one tiny ant, she can’t make an impact.  Flik hands her a rock and tells her to pretend it’s a seed.  He goes on to explain that the seed may be small, but everything needed to make a tree is contained in the tiny seed.  All the seed needs is some water, sunlight, and time.  My favorite quote from the movie sums up this lesson by saying, 

“Now, you might not feel like you can do much now, but that's just because, well, you're not a tree yet. You just have to give yourself some time. You're still a seed.”

                I feel like with today’s society that some people’s dreams are being crushed because they aren't seen as ‘possible’ or ‘realistic’.  This is ridiculous!  No matter how big or small, everyone should believe that they can reach their dreams.  I've always had the dream of impacting the world in a good way.  I haven’t figured out how to do that quite yet, but I know that even though the dream may seem a little ‘out there’, I can achieve it.  Don’t suffocate your dreams, or anyone else’s, because they seem too big.  Don’t worry, you’re just not a tree yet, you’re still a seed.

With Lots of Lizard Love,

Lizzy <3

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