Donnie Darko and the Cruel Ministrations of Old Pediatricians

One of my favorite movies of all time is Donnie Darko. If you haven't seen it, go see it. Unless you're the kind of person who lives for Britney Spears and Hillary Duff, in which case I'm not sure why you're reading this blog anyway.

(Incidentally, the director's cut of this film has been released to theaters (well one in Chicago anyway). It's certainly not worse than the original, but I don't think it's better either)

If you have seen Donnie Darko, you know it's the story of a troubled teenage boy who sees an excruciatingly ugly six-foot rabbit in places where you wouldn't expect to see an excruciatingly ugly six-foot rabbit. (And by that I mean anywhere). In the course of events, this rabbit (Frank) gets shot in the eye.

Now come back 30 years back in time with me. I am 3 years old, at a visit to my heretofore-considered-kindly old pediatrician. I assume he meant the following scene as a fun distraction to a small child who has to get a shot in the arm.

(Doctor draws a large pink rabbit on my arm, and carefully gives the rabbit a single dot for an eye)
Doctor: "Now let's shoot the bunny in the eye!!!"

Well you can imagine what shrieks of horror and dismay issued from my tiny lungs at that point.

So although I love Donnie Darko, I'm forced to relive that shot from my wacked-out pediatrician every time I see Frank. But I guess it's a small price to pay for such a great film. And I'm pretty sure Dr.WeirdAssSenseofHumor has passed on and is no longer shooting bunnies. (Actually if he shot any more after the hissy I threw, he must have been deaf as well as weird)

The Importance of Being Right (or What the Hell is Wrong with Being Wrong?)

A lot of things that are wrong in the world today seem to stem from man's basic urge to be right.

Religion: If my religion is true, it must be right and everything else must be wrong
Politics: My party is right so yours must be wrong. (because God forbid people work TOGETHER on anything)
The Chronicles of Riddick: Everyone else is WRONG because I know a movie starring Vin Diesel in silver contact lenses is basically a license to print money.

My way is right, yours is wrong. Or if your way isn't exactly wrong, my way is at least better.

Hey, it feels so darn GOOD to be right, doesn't it? Is that all there is to it? People just can't face the agonizing, soul-cleaving, thumb-screwing PAIN of being wrong?

Wait, I've been wrong before. I've been wrong plenty of times. Heck, I've been wrong twice today already. And if you are reading this and today is a day that ends in "y", chances are you've been wrong too. As has every other person who's drawn breath on this big blue marble.

And we're all still here. We survived being wrong. People survive being wrong and yet they don't learn the lesson that having been wrong once, it's possible to be wrong again, and it's not the end of the world to be wrong again.

Even worse than refusing to be wrong, people will lie or at the very least put a questionable spit-shine on the truth to MAKE themselves be right. If you start barking loud enough that you're RIGHT, no one will question that you could be wrong. Kind of like when Reagan was shot and Alexander Haig started telling anyone who would listen that he was in charge of the White House. When everyone knows full well that the Vice President, the Speaker of the House, and the Secretary of Sandwiches would take over before he could.

I know I am bemoaning a basic construct of human nature that in all likelihood can never be changed. I can't expect people to not have insecurities and to not feel good about being right. I can't expect people to look at the big picture when an individual's personal arena is usually already more than he/she can handle.

But I've already given up my right to be right, don't ask me to give up hope as well.