Alive in Our Minds

Is anything truly not alive? I often hear things, and have even said myself, like "it's only a movie" but is that really true? I would argue no for one simple reason. While much of the media we watch might not have actually happened, our memories and our emotions that we feel are very real to us. I would argue that this is why remakes or bad sequels hurt so much. We remember how we felt when we saw the original piece of media, and thus to see something so similar but just off, is painful. It is like seeing a pod person of a beloved family member. Our memories come back to us but in a distorted reflection. Nowhere was that more painfully evident for me than when I was watching the live action Beauty and the Beast. I would hear the words of the songs, and the words would remind me of the joy I feel watching the animated film. But then the flat autotuned of Emma Watson would kick in and that joy would distort into revulsion. 

How I saw the Live action Beauty and the Beast

These emotions do not express themselves only for pieces of media but four our toys as well. We create whole worlds and characters for our toys. Lotso in Toy Story 3 might dismissively refer to toys as "a piece of plastic. . . . made to be thrown away" but anyone who has owned and loved a toy knows that is not the case. This is part of the awfulness of growing up. When we look at those figures that gave us comfort and were so alive just months ago, but are now are hollow and empty. All one has left to is to cling to the memories of the comfort and that is not much solace. 

Even our yards come alive to us. Our yards are never just trees and grass. When I look at my yard, I see the enterprise, MI6, or the Ponderossa. Obviously that is not really the case, but my emotions and memories of creating those worlds are very much real. Just because they are part of my imagination, does that make them any less important or poignant? These stories I created in my yard helped shape me just as much as doing "important" things like math. 

I would love to pretend that this post has some grand point but I don't think it does. If anything is taken away I guess, it's don't scoff at things deemed "childish." They are important and meaningful. Treasure them and never let anyone tell you that your emotions aren't important.

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