What would the movie flashback of your life look like? Over the weekend I had the wonderful opportunity to watch, yet again, the Big Chill. The Big Chill is a movie about college friends who get together for a friend’s funeral many years after graduation and all decide to stay a few days extra. The personality dynamics are brilliant. The casting is perfect and the acting is spot-on.
Of course the name of the film relays the ‘coming of age’ and the transition of one part of one’s life into another when ‘the cooling-off’ of certain ideas and ideals enter one’s life.
The interesting thing for me is watching these characters reminisce of their college days gone-by. Their friendships are solid, their personalities as different as night and day, and connections are real. Yet, they bond and connect again and at the same time inviting us to watch; to share. And we enjoy every minute of it. The film was made in 1983. That in itself is hard to believe as I remember watching it and thinking of my college days which, at the release date, were only two years prior.
At the time of this film, I had no kids, family or even a thought of diabetes. (Side note: Also at this time, fellow d-Dad Kevin Kline would meet his wife Phoebe Cates auditioning for this film—so the story is told.) I was 25. It was a great time in my life and every time I watch this film, it takes me back. As they reflect on their lives together, I also find myself reflecting on what was, and how that made me be who I have become.
As I have watched my partial movie flashback of my unfinished life, there is very little I would change. There is always ‘the obvious’ that I would surely have wanted those I lost, stay around a little longer; and of course accidents and illnesses would be nice to eradicate. But little else would change mainly because whatever I have done or experienced have become the building blocks of…….well…….me.
Even when it comes to diabetes. Do not get me wrong, I hate it and wished it was never here, but that is the easy thing to say. The truth is that the diabetes world has been such a huge part of my life and it has supplied a career of meeting the most incredible people and experiences worldwide. All I had when I started was some passion and it turned into a lifetime journey. It’s sort of hard to say diabetes bought ANY good into our lives but okay; now picture what your life would be like without it? I cannot.
Kaitlyn said once that she does not know what life would feel like to wake up one day, and no longer have diabetes. There are many videos out there now of children who are hearing for the first time and even a man who has specially made glasses which corrected his color-blindness and he sees color for the first time. They are moving.
What will the video look like when Kaitlyn (and Rob) wake up one day and diabetes has been changed drastically; eradicated to the best that we could ever have it? I still do believe that day will come. Hey, it’s my movie, I can have it end as I want……right? That ending has yet to be written, so the flashback movie of my life is not yet finished. It is a red-carpet opening of which we will continue to wait……..and an opening night wished for by millions. Pass the popcorn.
I am a diabetes dad.
Please visit my Diabetes Dad FB Page and hit ‘like’.