Benjamin Button

You may not want to read this if you have not yet seen the movie!!!

My husband and I went to see The Curious Case of Benjamin Button last night. It was a very unbelievable movie, the concept being Benjamin was born an elderly baby. In other words he was nearly blind, deaf and had wrinkled skin lacking any elasticity. Essentially he was born a dying man and appeared to be a deformed, grotesque baby. His mother died in childbird and his father lacked the internal strength to raise such a baby on his own, so Benjamin was abandoned on the doorstep of a large home that housed elderly patients. He was raised by a lovely black woman who worked at the home.

During the course of the movie Benjamin grew from the size of a child into a man, but became younger and younger. As he "aged" his eyesight and hearing improved, he became stronger and taller and he was able to walk again. He became a very handsome young man. Though it was all very far-fetched I thought Brad Pitt did a wonderful job portraying the character from the elderly man, a handsome man probably in his 40s and then a teenager. Toward the end of his life Benjamin was a very angry, disoriented child who could not comprehend what was happening to him. He died at the end as a baby again...

Much happened during the course of the movie including Benjamin falling in love, first with a girl much too young for him, but as he aged in reverse they eventually found each other again and had a relationship. Actually, the daughter they had together brings us through much of Benjamin's life story by reading his diary to her dying mother. Benjamin began as an old man learning everything in life as a child would, and seeing the world through a childs eyes.

Several times during the movie I found myself wiping away tears from my cheeks. Benjamin had a love for life and a sense of adventure that I could not get enough of. If I'd had a notepad with me at the theatre I'm guessing there would have been 10 or 12 memorable lines I would be sharing with you, but in the end I only have one.

As a child living at the residence of the elderly, a kind woman taught Benjamin how to play piano. He became a bit frustrated as he tried to learn, and the woman patiently said "It's not how well you play, it's about how you feel when you play". I'm sorry if it's not an exact quote, but if it's not correct I know it is darn close. I wish those words had been uttered to me when I was taking piano lessons as a child. I venture to say I would still be playing today. I was too worried about perfection and utterly terrified of making a fool of myself in front of a crowd of onlookers during a recital. I should have been playing for the joy of playing. No recitals pleeeease!!

I hope to rephrase that line in some way to help my stepsons with their coloring. The 5 1/2 year old is especially critical of himself and unforgiving when he colors outside the lines. I actually think he does very well, and have tried to tell him so. I color with him and I go outside the lines! I would guess you do this from time to time until you are creating your own lines by drawing or painting what you love. I've no idea how to tell a child it's not perfection you are aiming for but the joy of being creative and expressing yourself. Good luck Girl! I'll have to think about this one....

Anyway, I love the phrase and intend to post it somewhere in my home. Heck, I might even frame it. It's not how well you (paint, write, color, sing, garden, photograph), it's about how you feel when you (paint, write, color, sing, garden, photograph). Hmmm....wonder how many frames I have....