Slowments

Can't remember what movie it was, but I remember a seen with a teen boy & girl, sitting together in the summer time. They were flirting a little. He wanting to kiss her. She wanting to be kissed. To break the ice a little she engaged in small talk. She said there were moments. And then there were slow moments, which she called slowments. Ah, now I remember! It was the movie Blue Sky, starring Tommy Lee Jones and Jessica Lange, who got an Oscar for it. OK, I *think* that was the movie.

Anyway, I'm sitting at home reading "Dangling Man" by Saul Bellow. Neat book, but it's hard to read these days. Mostly because it seems the whole story could have been told in 1/3 the number of pages.

And the other day we're at home watching Star Wars. For those of you born after 1970, when an old fart like me says Star Wars we mean the original 1977 Star Wars. We don't call it "Episode IV" or "A New Hope". To us it will always be just "Star Wars", as this is what it was called when it came out. The whole EPIV/ANH stuff was something Lucas created earlier.

Anyway, we're watching the movie and someone pointed out that the first half was really dull & moved slow. I was shocked! How could they say this? It's during that part of the movie that we discover the universe, all the back stories, etc.

I started thinking that today people just aren't used to slowments. The latest Star Wars movie is almost totally action, as are many movies made today. No one seems to want a story to unfold.

What's sad is that I see it in myself. Every now and then I can relax and watch a Hotel Rwanda, or an Unforgiven. But lately I find even myself fast forwarding through some movies these days.

Reading old books it seems that people have been complaining about life getting more hectic for decades before I was born - even a century ago.

That may be, but I wish the world would quiet down a bit so we can enjoy more slowments. Like a relaxing BBQ on the 4th without having to worry about checking email. :)