Mm, terrible ideas… Don’t you just love those?

If you, my readers, are anything like me, you have hundreds of ingenious thoughts throughout your day. And if you are really like me, you don’t do anything with them. You just let them come and pass. I don’t know about you, but I’m starting to say to myself “You idiot, work those ideas, for one is going to be great.”

Going after ideas (aka: dreams) is a theme found in most movies. The plot usually goes like this. Lead character faces a disappointment or challenging situation at the beginning. As viewers, we are empathic towards him/her. Supporting characters next introduce a positive situation which could result in something great for the leading character. Great events follow one-by-one for the lead up until something so seemingly insurmountable happens. The character is de-motivated and we, the viewers, are as well. But, as with the movies, there is always a happy ending.

The movies give us a so-called “aerial” view of life. We can see the course; the ups, the downs, the wins, the losses. But do we see our own lives like the movies? OK, OK. I know the saying that movies are bigger than life and that movies are fantasy and they don’t mimic reality. Well, I debate these claims because I know of many writers/producers/directors that use their own personal life as inspiration for their movies. Just to name two: The Muppet Movie and Something’s Gotta Give. If you have not seen these, take some time and watch.

There is one movie that depicts striving for happiness so well, that I am using it as my parallel for this week. Under the Tuscan Sun (2003) is my epitome of overcoming obstacles plot. For those unfamiliar, here’s the gist: Frances (lead character) faces a divorce at the beginning of the movie. She falls into depression having her life turned upside; essentially she has to start over. With urging from her best friend, she goes on a gay tour of Italy. At one of the stops, she walks through the village and just happens to see a real estate listing for a villa. Katherine (a woman whom she had noticed earlier in the day) stops and asks if she is going to buy it. Frances responds that would be a terrible idea. Katherine says “Mm, terrible ideas… Don’t you just love those?” As fate has it, a sign of the day presents Frances with the opportunity to buy the villa. So with few ties to home (USA), she settles in to build a new life, and subsequently, through ups and downs, builds the life of many other characters in the story.

The movie shows that dreams and ideas are attainable, but take effort. Even the most admirable character takes a punch or two. But because they rebound and get back up onto the horse, we admire them even more. I’d like to be admired; I’d like to inspire others; I think you want to as well. Here are a few of my favorite lines from the movie; they provide the inspiration to battle every obstacle between me and my next great idea.

Fefe said you have to live spherically in many directions. Never lose your childish enthusiasm, and things will come your way.

A terrible idea. Mm-hmm. Don’t you just love those?

She said, “Terrible ideas are like playground scapegoats. Given the right encouragement, they grow up to be geniuses.”

You know when you come across one of those empty-shell people? And you think, “What the hell happened to you?” Well, there came a time in each one of those lives where they were at a crossroads. / Crossroads. God, that is so “Oprah.” / Someplace where they had to decide to turn left or right.

Fefe always said, “Regrets are a waste of time. They’re the past crippling you in the present.”

Listen, when I was a little girl, I used to spend hours looking for ladybugs. Finally, I’d just give up and fall asleep in the grass. When I woke up, they were crawling all over me. / So? / So go work on your house and forget about it.

If you smash into something good, you should hold on until it’s time to let go.

Just because you have a sudden urge to weep, that doesn’t mean you’ve made a mistake.