From the moment of birth to our last breath, entertainment is a driving force in our lives. From our first laugh to our last cry, the ability to focus on something outside of ourselves is a motivational force that drives us in our lives. For me, as for many others, visual documentation in the form of cinema is a relished past time. I would not want to know how many hours or days I have spent in front of a screen in the search of alternative diversion from my boring life - or at least the normal life I live, but I'm sure the number is a large one. I was reminded of this fact while watching a video of a favored film critic of mine who asked a simple question - what was the moment at which I knew I loved the movies? An interesting question that piqued my interest. Something else of interest is the fact that the old saying "piqued my interest" is often thought of as "peeked my interest" but pique, by definition, is to provoke or arouse. To peek is merely to take a quick glance or a stolen observation which just cannot work in that phrase for our purposes. One may disagree on this observation but that's just how it goes sometimes. So, my interest was piqued. And I considered the many movies I have observed in my lifetime. I've watched many different genres and types of movies. So for me, as an individual rather than a statistical figure, a movie is so much more than just a diversion. Movies to me are pretty important. In fact, I would say that a good movie, based upon my own personal criteria, could be considered an achievement rather than just a diversion. For me, a movie provides mental fitness and emotional stability. Now, I must make this clear - I am not saying that my happiness or sanity is based upon how many hours of satisfactory viewing I am able to achieve for the week. Not at all. What I'm saying is that movies and television provide a necessary stability to my life. And I believe this is true (the stability of mental and emotional health) that can be found in many of us. We, as a people, have always needed a good story in words and visual representation. From the earliest records of man we see this evidence. Man has always required the outside influence from storytelling or dance or many other forms of entertainment. I believe man/mankind will always require to think about the "what if's" and the possibilities outside of himself. From daydreaming to dreaming at night - even nightmares provide a level of fear and problem solving the mind seems to require and even demand of us in the subconscious level. Even while at rest our minds form dreams and nightmares built upon memories of past faces and bits of our lives from our waking hours. And the question we must ask is "why?". Why is it when the body is at rest the mind is required such a work out? Is it for our bodies benefit? That does not seem likely due to the fact our muscles become useless in our deepest dreams. But I don't believe our minds would do so much in our sleep periods if it wasn't for our own health. So, it isn't a matter of feeding some emotional nutrient that our mind is lacking or solving some unsolved problem. Well, the unsolved problem aspect could play a part of it but I believe it goes much further than that. The mind itself is locked away in our brains with no outside influence other than what we take in with our own senses. If the mind rested we cease in rational functioning. So, I theorize that the mind requires the input that it devises on its own. Much like certain types of sharks that have to constantly move to force the water in that gives them the oxygen they require, the mind must not stand still either. I believe that dreams and nightmares are required of those minds that must continue moving through their complex analysis of data. For some, like other types of sharks, the mind is at rest a majority of time anyway so the mind doesn't require the constant analysis so it does rest. I do believe it is a matter of intelligence and is a survival technique of those with a constant problem solving mode of thinking. In our waking moments, the mind finds sustenance from different forms of outside entertainment such as reading, television, and movies. Some minds merely adapt from the absence of data by referrals from memories processed within itself using still pictures from old albums. Each of us, as individuals, processes at whatever rate the mind requires. This process can be changed from our infancy but requires an assertive effort on our own. So, going back to the original question - "When did I first know I loved the movies?" may not be the right question - for me at least. I, as an individual, probably found the movies provide a level of problem solving and emotional sustenance that was similar to vitamins and minerals for my body. My mind, when it was allowed this form of outside stimuli, reacted to it like a missing food that quenched a hunger that was lacking in other stimulus' my mind had previously been feed. For me, a movie has to have a point or provide a strong emotional component I can connect with. I find this in television shows as well. If it's stupid or pointless than I don't really want to watch it and my mind and emotional center push me off in some other direction. So, for me, movies aren't really just a distraction - they are important to my mental and emotional stability. I just never realized it before. My name is Rueuhy and I approve this blog.
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