Lovely

You know, I read the book and found it to be unbelievably moving. A story that absorbed me from the very beginning. But that was some time ago and when I decided this evening to go and see the movie, I did not what to expect. Sure I heard the great reviews.. but don't they all have decent reviews to get you in the door?

In the theater, again.. I sat fully absorbed in this young girls life and death. Her struggle, along with that of her family to move on. To transcend. It was tense, extraordinarily creative visually, and quite engaging. Yes I did scream out loud a few times much to the dismay of my companion.

As the credits rolled, so did the tears down my cheeks. I was so affected by this story..this movie and the way it was told... And I remembered my own story. One long ago when I was about 23. I had a class I was taking on my own, for interest. I met this young man whom no one else seemed to talk to or befriend. I made no grand gestures, but I did say hello and lean toward politeness. After 2 months or so, he invited a few people out to his family's property to view the moons of Jupiter... he lived in the desert of San Diego county. I agreed, as did one or two others. Well the evening of the viewing, I had no idea I was the only one that would show up.

There was a scene in the movie where, the young girl having gone down underneath the earth with this man, suddenly realizes the mistake she made. The fatal mistake that she did not anticipate. You see this in her face and you feel it in your own bones.

As I sat that night, in the middle of desert with this young man and his father... Both white, me Black.... with no one for miles... I realized the mistake the I made. I felt it every pore, in the violent gushing of my own blood through my own veins... I think they knew I knew it too. Somehow I survived that evening...and to this day, I know that it was a miracle. Those people meant to do me harm. Permanent harm. But something changed their minds that night and I got to walk away. When I got to my car.. I traveled as fast as my wheels would spin. There were no cell phones then, no way to alert anyone. Nothing. I never went back to that class.. and I never saw those people again. But I also never forgot.

So tonight when I left this movie and remembered this incident, I could not stop crying.. I came home and hugged my puppy and basked in gratefulness.

So like Susie Salmon...

We are here for a time and then we are gone.
I wish you a long and happy life...