NO CATCHER, NO RYE
Sunday, January 9, 2022
We start on life’s path without knowledge, notwithstanding plenty of influences (or absence of them) on our direction, values, and purpose from parents, teachers, siblings, friends and foes. It has always been thus. Technology widens our array of strangers who write, talk and post willy-nilly about their view of the world.
We watched a movie Friday night (Tender Bar on Prime) which seemed promising. Adapted from J.R. Moehringer’s memoir, it was entertaining — not stellar, but it had an impact …
Story of a child getting direction/examples from many sources, craving same from absent father — not a unique storyline. Its memoir perspective demonstrates lack of broader perspective and understanding of the other characters as typically found in well-told stories. This movie disregards the background and whole-world perspective of all the other characters. A tale of love and loss, or angst and coming of age, but there is no catcher, no rye, nothing close.
I’ll focus on my journey.
I’m neither wise nor energetic enough to convince anyone to choose a path, focus, or passion.
As much as we start life with others influencing us, our companion of puberty is supposed to be time for maturity to arrive from which we derive perspective for making choices independently — and those who don’t become writers and tell their stories to a page.
Someone else’s perspective is no substitute for owning one of our own. We cannot see the whole picture of anything. Stuck seeing one side, one point of view — is hardly a construct that can produce happy results.
Figuring out life — figuring out our place in the world, is challenging for young and old alike.
