Fine, my Saturday night finds me at home. Having just watched a Fassbinder classic Ali: Fear Eats the Soul, I have to remark on the irony of referencing the photo in the last post. I find the resemblance of El Hedi ben Salem, who played the title character, with Lionel Richie uncanny. Sure, Salem has a bit more facial hair and a bit more muscularity -- but something about the eyes, cheekbones, facial shape and coloring that's just punching my "match" button.
Hopefully, I'll pop Ali and my last Netflix screening in the mail on Tuesday (long Labor Day Wknd). In viewing Hotel Rwanda last night, I was extremely moved by the story itself as well as with all the performances. During the Rwandan genocide that serves as the film's backdrop, I was a Youth Director/Sunday School teacher in Nashville. Perhaps six years or more older than the kids I was leading, I could not help but impress the fact that the faith being developed within our forum would be applicable to the real world. Most of them had no idea of the hundreds of thousands slaughtered within a period of a few weeks. Many victims were their age and younger -- innocents. Even when your reach is limited to an area in peril, remaining conscious, open and out-spoken places one's faith in action.
The memory knocked on the door of my own growing sense of apathy. Yup, I got bills to pay, so little volunteering for me these days. The political activism of my youth seems vacant in the clamor leading to the 2008 elections. Choosing no party affiliation to register myself as a voter still seems right, but I wish a candidate filled me with fire. Like a little bit of most of the Dem candidates. However, a desire to attend any of their local events is always fueled by the wrong reasons -- dudes. Hence, scratching the option.
What about a sense of purpose? What about the many wrongs domestically and internationally? Won't any of these motivate a once politically earnest kid to take a stand? Chances don't look good -- shucks, I still have problems executing chores on the weekend let alone changing the world.
Netflix, did you really need to summon such self-reflection?
