I watched Blood Diamond last night (good performances by everyone btw) and it made me want to vomit. Of course some things in the film were dramatized for cinematic purposes, but I venture to say not by much.
A few things struck me while watching the film. One character kept saying “T.I.A.” (This Is Africa), like everything that happens on that continent is par for the course. As if the people who live there will never really get to experience the beauty and majesty that is Africa. Like there will always be interlopers and corrupt leaders to take advantage of the resources and the people. They will never live in peace.
It made my quest to lose weight feel so unimportant and almost vain. It’s unfortunate, but most Americans really don’t know how blessed we are in this country. It amazes me how we can be so loving in one breath and pompous and superior in the next when it comes to Africa or any other nation. We talk such a good game in this country, but we are really full of shit, all of us, black, white, brown, yellow, and green. Everyone is wearing the biggest assed diamonds they can afford (or not afford) and don’t bother to think about where they came from because then we couldn’t use the, “I Didn’t Know” excuse. We couldn’t then excuse our GREED. Gordon Gekko of Wall Street fame said, “That greed, for lack of a better word, is good. Greed is right, greed works. Greed clarifies, cuts through, and captures the essence of the evolutionary spirit. Greed, in all of its forms; greed for life, for money, for love, knowledge has marked the upward surge of mankind. Greed is Good.” NO IT’S NOT, and once we realize that and get our grubby little hands clean, I think we will all find some peace.
Believe me, I am not trying to stand on a soap box because I have 4 diamonds in my ears right now and I have no idea where they came from; but I want to do something. I don’t know what but I want to do something. Our world is simply breaking my heart and I am beginning to feel hopeless. I am just so sad and want to scream all the time and I do. Everytime I put that extra bite in my mouth, everytime I walk past the free gym that is available to me, everytime I lay in my bed eating instead of going for a walk, I am screaming. I think a lot of us are screaming because we don’t know what else to do, feel or say. We’re living in a time of great fear and everyday there is something new, real or imagined to fear.
Or maybe it’s just me.
As always, be well
CF
“Kindness in words creates confidence, kindness in thinking creates profoundness, kindness in feeling creates love.” — Lao Tzu
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I love movies, but I normally wait for them to come out on DVD before I see them. I am never in a rush to see a particular film because most of the time they are real disappointments.
I hope this movie goes well for Mickey (he could use a real break). I look forward to seeing the film…I might even see it before it goes to DVD.