"’There is no problem so big it can’t be run away from.’"
"Very Nice, Don. You were quoting Snoopy the Dog, I believe?"
"I’ll quote truth wherever I find it, thank you very much."
–Richard Bach, Illusions: The Aventures of a Reluctant Messiah
Often it seems that there are very few surprises to be found in the world. So many things are formulaic, aren’t they? Take the movie industry – or better yet, entertainment in general – as an example. It’s not even about giving people what they want, it’s about giving them what they expect. If a sitcom makes a serious point, it’s always in a “Very Special Episode™”. If there’s truth to be found in science fiction, it’s of the heavy-handed sort we associate with Star Trek or the newer installments in the Star Wars saga (side note – is there any room for the mercenary Han Solo in the universe that George Lucas has finally developed? It’s clear that HE doesn’t think so. Not only is there no similar character in the prequels, when the original movie was re-released, it was edited to show Greedo taking the first shot at Han, not the other way around.)
This isn’t to say that there isn’t an effort to make a serious point in these arenas – oftentimes there is. It seems, though, that such efforts are always telegraphed to such a degree that there may as well be big neon signs pointing out that This Is The Important Bit. There are exceptions, to be sure, but they seem increasingly rare to me.
All of which serves, I think, to make those unlooked-for bits of wisdom and truth all the more precious. So much so, that I’ve been thinking – someone should put together a list of such things. Or, better yet, an exploration of some of the choice ones; not just the moment itself and a “huh, that’s cool,” but a bit more detail, delving into the thought process that follows from the fragment itself. Wouldn’t that be cool?
Well, since it seems nobody else has been listening to my internal monologue, I’ve decided to tackle it myself. At the moment the plan is to update this section monthly with a new addition. With luck, inspiration and a bit of free time, it may happen more often. Regardless of the update frequency, I’m excited to see how it works out.
