Within the last few weeks I have seen the movies Precious and The Blindside. [Also New Moon twice but that is another post in itself! 
] And have sat through both with the gut wrenching guilt of “what am I doing to help those in need.”
…
Precious is about a young girl who was abused on all fronts by her biological father and mother. This movie is not for the faint of heart and has the ability to sicken you worse than a scary movie like Saw. The raw scenes and unyielding acting force the viewer to not look away and discount the girl like we probably do everyday. Instead we must face her reality whether we like it or not.
The Blindside, unlike Precious, is a true story about football player Michael Orr. The son of drug addict he had no father and 2 shirts to his name. He was taken in by a local family and soon tutored through high school and allowed to play sports where he later graduated and went on to play football in college and recently signed to the Ravens to play professionally.
Both movies were shining examples of people who we let slip through the cracks. Who we immediately discount because they are different than us.
Who I immediately discount because they are different than me.
And for both it started with one person to take notice and soon others followed. Over time their lives changed for the better. Precious’ story might not be as surreal as Michael’s but they both changed the cycle and expanded their radius.
I struggle with still being young and let’s face it… poor. I technically still qualify as a poor college student, how do I have anything to spare? I type this fully knowing that any extra money I have goes directly to shoes or the latest technical gadget.
Being poor or a college student is just an excuse. Admittance is the first step, right?
Not to bring in another movie but Dayereh (The Circle) by Jafar Panahi is an Iranian national cinema about a select group of women and the limitations they face in being a woman in Iran. The movie can be long due to no score and long takes but overall I would recommend it. However, it is an interview with the director that I most remember. Jafar Panahi says,
“In my view, everyone in the world lives within a circle, either due to economic, political, cultural, or family problems or traditions. The radius of the circle can be smaller or larger. Regardless of their geographic location, they live within a circle. I hope that if this film has any kind of effect on anyone, it would be to make them try to expand the size of the radius.”
“In all my films, you never see an evil character, male or female. I believe everyone is a good person. It could be the result of social difficulties. Even the most dangerous criminal has that sense of humanity. At the bottom he’s still a human. It doesn’t mean that a criminal shouldn’t be punished just because social difficulties have driven him to it. He’s guilty because he didn’t try to expand the radius of his circle.”
Which makes me just as bad.
With all this type, what have I learned? Well, I am still figuring that out. What I do know is I can start with the simple step of being conscious of those around me. For Precious and Michael they found salvation from people showing them that they counted.
A couple of years ago my sister and her team put together a promotional video for her non profit, Streams of Life, and I think it is fitting because it talks about the ripple effect. One person touching one person touching one person.
Pay it forward, Change the world.
Posted via email from Danielle’s posterous
