Week 1 "This Is Water" video reflection

    At the beginning of the video my curiosity was sparked and I wondered how the goldfish analogy would be translated into a real world scenario. As I continued to listen to the speaker talk over music in the background while watching the goldfish swimming through the screen, I began to reminisce about the movie "What about Bob" and his pet goldfish "Gil". Two characters that have a similar parallel to the points made by David Foster Wallace. Bob and Gil are both trapped in their own space facing the same mundane realities until an awakening of sorts was performed. Not until then was Bob able to be happy with where he was.

    Then the first few minutes of the video passed I realized that the shift in the analogy actually moved towards another Bill Murray classic, Groundhog Day. A story which has a similar but different narrative where "Phil Connors" is stuck in a constant daily repetition and is only able to escape after he becomes a good person, less selfish, finally realizes his own worth and the world does not revolve around him.

   The narrative that he is speaking is not unique to one individual, we all get trapped in a cycle from time to time and everyone has their own story. The ability to be aware of your own judgments and annoyances at times can be unique. I like many people in the year 2020 have been faced with shifting timelines or stories, some days seeming more mundane than others. The most important thing to take away is that I can look at the bright side of the changes that have occured. I have been able to spend more time with my kids and wife than I would ever thought possible, and I am fortunate for every moment.

 

family and I

Having the awareness to make a conscious decision on what has meaning is more important this year than any, no matter how you were affected by the societal changes that have occured. This is a concept that Bill Murray's characters have been able to figure out, be kind and be present where you are.