In Time... For What?

I just saw the movie “In Time” with Justin Timberlake.  Yes, I saw the 2pm show on a Tuesday with four other people in the theater.  (Yes, this is my life.  Check my tumblr page at tarun.tv if you really want to get scared) 

I’m not here to review the movie, but the gist of it is that everybody has a counter on their arm, and life is slipping away.  In this fantasy world, time is literally money.  So rich people can live forever and buy more time while poor people face an early death. 

I’ve got to stop watching high-concept movies that deal with time.  For some reason, they make me over analyze my life purpose, and I’m not sure if that's good or bad.

(Remember, Adam Sandler’s “Click?” Where the guy has a remote control and can fast forward time?  I couldn’t sleep for like three days. Seriously!)

What does this tell me?  I have problems and should seek therapy.  But it also makes me aware that we have a finite amount of time on Earth.  In my opinion, most of humanity has numbed their minds and slog through life using various coping mechanisms: alcohol, career, family.

I used to think Hollywood was the anti-thesis to this.  After all, it’s the land where people risk everything in pursuit of their dreams.  And then I look around and see my ego-driven acquaintances who would push their grandmother in front of a moving truck for under five lines on "How I Met Your Mother."  I want to shake these people and yell, "Is this what you really want?!"  

I, myself, am the worst because I am driven to not lose. So I spend inordinate amounts of time doing things I have no interest in.  It's like being trapped in a Reality TV show where the contest challenges keep coming, each one larger and more insane than the last. 

My point to all this is that I think everybody can benefit by sitting down for a few minutes and trying to find some objective.  It's a simple thing to do, and I'm not sure if people take the TIME to do this.  (I'm never using this word again) I’ve been lucky to meet some great people who have: comedians, teachers, doctors.  There is this guy who uses a leaf blower outside my apartment every Friday morning.  He's always smiling. I think he may be high, but I'm going to give him the benefit of the doubt and assume he's found something that he likes to do.

I think that’s the difference between people that live happily and do meaningful things vs. people who watch Justin Timberlake movies in the middle of the day. 

I'm going to go watch Captain America now.