Last night, I left work with a mission: “See Avengers: Endgame“. I Google mapped the nearest reclining-seat movie theater with a suitable showtime. After a twenty-five minute drive in moderate rain, I made it!
I am not a superhero/comic-book fanatic and know-it-all. Not even close. Over the past couple of years though, I’ve seen a nice chunk of the Marvel films. The hype for this movie was too overwhelming though! I couldn’t wait any longer to see what it would be about.
Feeling fancy and stuffed from my hand-delivered pizza, I easily sat through the three-hour movie. Without giving too much away, I thought Endgame was amazing. The non-stop “grab your attention” story line, the acting, and time-travel (one of my favorite sci-fi phenomena) were all great elements. Above everything though, Endgame brought me to tears in my cushioned seat. It compelled me to reflect on my humanity. Here are a couple of my reflections:
- I can be alone and feel alive. I came as a party of 1 to the movies. I often go on solo movie trips, but this time around, I felt so happy. It was nice to just take myself on a date and see really good cinema. I laughed hard, I jumped (don’t ask me why), and I cried (I wiped my tears with pizza-greased napkins). It’s possible to feel present and real in the company of loved ones and just as much so in solitude, in the background of strangers’ lives. Both types of moments can be sacred.
- I won’t be alive forever. Duh, but I weirdly thought about my grandma who passed away when I was two years old. I thought about how she went to concerts, she saw great movies, and she fully experienced so much. She once felt hot leather on her driver’s seat during a summer’s day. She had her heart broken before, I can imagine. She enjoyed the taste of her favorite meal as a girl in Arkansas. Her life’s material was made of many ordinary, yet purposeful moments. Endgame reminded me that I won’t always be here, but I matter today, and long after. That the ordinary moments no one else sees can still feel extraordinary. That this earth will have felt the walk of my shoes, regardless.
Even if you’re not a Marvel or superhero fan, give Endgame a try. It might make you think about a thing or two and feel quietly, yet superbly alive.
Roots & Hope 