Wednesday, June 26, 2013

How Do You Know? It’s a Mystery.

Recently, we got a subscription to Netflix (I know we’re behind the times—don’t judge) and I was scrolling through and found Shakespeare in Love in our que. And OH MY GOSH, that has always been one of my favorites, and I was in a romantic mood (meaning I needed inspiration for edits and stuff), so that was kind of a no-brainer. I was all, love + kissing + Shakespeare = happy and yeah.

I watched it, remembering things I had forgotten, or picking up small comments or nuances I haven’t noticed in the past. And I was struck by an undercurrent, an ongoing theme that hit home for my current circumstances. At one point, the owner of the playhouse tells the loan-shark, Mr. Fennyman, that it’s okay that the playhouses have been shut down because of the plague, because strangely enough, it all works out in the end. Mr. Fennyman doesn’t believe him at first, asking, “How do you know?” and the playhouse owner (whose name slips my mind for now) shrugs and says, “It’s a mystery.”

This same line is used between Christopher Marlowe and Will Shakespeare, and then again between Will and Viola (his love interest) at the end of the movie. And then, mysteriously, it does work out in the end. Not necessarily with ideal circumstances, and as the queen predicts, the story ends with tears and a journey, but also with a playwright who will FOREVER have a muse. (Sorry if you consider those spoilers!)

That line pretty much applies to my life on any given day lately. And yet…strangely enough, things tend to mysteriously work out in the end. Call it faith. Or human nature. Or divine intervention. You could even call it fate if you’re so inclined. But the thing is, when life throws us challenges, IT REALLY DOES WORK OUT. And usually, for the better.

So there you have it. My weekly dose of wisdom handed down from a movie.


Has fiction ever given you wisdom? Do share!

1 comment:

Cindy Beck, author said...

Oh, yes. So much of fiction is really fact and some of it quite wise, indeed. For instance in, "The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel," one of the key players says something to the effect, "It will all work out in the end ... and if it doesn't work out, it isn't the end."

And then on days when things don't go well, there's always this quote by Detective Yamata, on the TV show Barney Miller: "As my old grandfather said, ‘Many things may look bleak at the moment of occurrence, but at least we don’t have locusts.'"

:) Yup, ya just gotta laugh. Thanks for sharing your thoughts. I always enjoy reading what you have to say.