The Secret Life of -r.

   Recently, my boyfriend and I spent a delightful afternoon at the, "cheap seats," watching the movie, "The Secret Life of Walter Mitty," starring Ben Stiller.  I went into this film with no real expectations of greatness.  In fact, I was more concerned with the quality of our large buttered popcorn than I was with that of the film.  It wasn't until I realized Ben's character, Walter, was employed at, "Life," magazine, (a job that I think would be riveting,) that I started to really pay attention to the movie instead of how many napkins we brought into the theater.  Later, while watching one of Walter's multiple daydream scenes I completely forgot about the popcorn altogether.  Lets just say, it involved Greenland, a very intoxicated helicopter pilot, and someone was singing David Bowie's, "Space Oddity."   All I could think was, "I've had this daydream before!"  

   I found, "The Secret Life of Walter Mitty," to be a very engaging film about one man's struggle with what I refer to as, "George Bailey's Syndrome."  If you are familiar with the classic film, "It's a Wonderful Life," you know that the main character in that movie, played by Jimmy Stewart, was plagued by a desire to leave home and explore the vast world in a quest to pursue his version of the meaning of life.  Like the character George Bailey in, "It's a Wonderful Life," Walter Mitty also possesses the desire to explore the world.  In both character's cases when this desire is not met a deep depression is the result.  This is portrayed by both George Bailey's suicide attempt or Walter Mitty's constant disengaged daydreaming.  In the end, both stories share a common conclusion., This being that the great, "meaning of life," has always been there and the secret is just defining it.  

    Many aspects of, "The Secret Life of Walter Mitty," hit close to home for me.  As mentioned in a previous post, I am still waiting to go on my dream trip to Seattle, Washington.  In the movie, Walter finally decides to break free of his monotony.  Before his greatest adventure, Walter trades in his adult dress shirt and briefcase for his favorite old band t shirt and backpack.  On the day the above pictures were taken I felt inspired by Walter Mitty's transformation.  I donned a band t shirt and grabbed a backpack thinking, "Now that I have on the appropriate exploration gear I am ready for that trip to Seattle!"  I just hope that people there still wear Nirvana t shirts.

-r.

Coat:  Miss Sixty

Shirt:  Thrifted

T Shirt:  FOREVER 21

Jeans:  Guess

Boots:  Hunter Boot Ltd

Backpack:  BESS NYC  http://store.bess-nyc.com/

Hat:  Free People  http://www.freepeople.com/

"Life," magazine's motto according to Walter Mitty:  To see the world, things dangerous to come to, to see behind walls, draw closer, to find each other, and to feel.  That is the purpose to life.