In recent months my work took me to places that were far away from where I live. The experience was fantastic, and I am very grateful for such opportunities.
There is one thing I would like to mention. Having so many hours to spend on a plane I decided to watch some movies. I am not sure whether is age, or …age but I came out of those many hoursenclosed in the cabin of a plane a big fan of Disney movies.
Let me review some of the few jewels I enjoyed:
Ferdinand: let us be clear, I am from Spain and I love bullfights! But I loved the movie. I had never thought of the life’s perspective a bull might have. I know for a fact that bulls are violent, extremely hierarchical (someday I will describe the “toro abochornado”) that 20% of them die in fights before they reach 5 years of age. In any case, the movie was about being in charge of your life, by making your reasoned choices (it sounds much like Marcus Aurelius, doesn’t it?). It brings us back to Epictetus “Freedom is the name of virtue: Slavery, of vice…. None is a slave whose acts are free”. The beauty of the movie is that you get to choose your own life by your choices, you do not have to do what others tell you to do, what tradition tells you to do. At the same time, your own choices force you to be alone sometimes. Is life as described in the movie? Yes and no. The wonderful end is not what happens in real life… not all the time, but the challenges and need to fight for your own ideas is. It is a wonderful movie, and I finished it with a smile.
Coco: this is a fantastic movie, go and watch it! The story of a Mexican boy … yeah… multicultural! But what makes it so great is that through the local forms (in the end culture is just necessary noise for human needs) it appeals to basic and shared human needs: freedom to pursue what makes you happy and…love (in this case in the form of family). It is beautifully done, the music is great but overall it is a great movie about values, how family can be a casket and how despite all its imperfections family is a basic pillar of our lives. It also has a very interesting approach to remembrance and permanence. When no one remembers you… is it at that moment when you really die? Is that the reason why we all look for a place in history books? Is permanence being remembered with love or a smile in someone’s face, or in a heartbeat out of place of someone we loved or that loved us? Watch it, please!
Zootopia: Another great movie. Animals live in a place where you can be anything, isn’t that great? It is not completely true but it is a fantastic goal! That being said, things are not easy… and you have to work for your place in life. In that journey you have to learn to be flexible and understanding of other people’s views and ways. And it is very funny!
So if you want to enjoy for a while and have a positive approach to life, even if for an hour … Disney!
Disclosure: I have no positions in the Disney stock, and no plans to initiate any positions within the next 100,000 hours. On top of that, I wrote this article myself, and it expresses my own opinions. Disney did not give me a dime for it. In fact, my wife is planning a trip to Orlando ;-(