Netflix is now instant streaming "Being Elmo: A Puppeteer's Journey." Sigh.
I'd read good things about this documentary from Hipstercrite, back when she saw it at SXSW last year. So, having absolutely no immediate claims on my time, I watched it. It was a worthwhile watch and I would recommend it to anyone who likes: documentaries, puppets, Muppets, Sesame Street or crying. OKAY FINE. Maybe the crying was an "only me" thing since 1.) I cry over anything when it comes to movie watching. Except dog movies. b.) I was overwhelmed by feelings of inadequacy and cat.) I was home alone so crying was perfectly acceptable.
Now, this isn't a whole, "woe is me" sort of post. Please be informed that I am still perfectly aware of how awesome I am. (Read: really awesome.) It's just that here is this story about this young boy who knew since he was little that he wanted to be a puppeteer. I mean, that's kind of a lame goal, unless you turn out to be Elmo, but the point is that he just knew.
He started building his own puppets at age fetus (or something) and it was all very inspiring. It's hard to watch something like that and not realize that I am passionate about absolutely nothing. There is nothing that I've been wanting since a fateful day when I laid eyes on [insert inspiring thing here.] I'm not excellent at anything, and just okay at a smorgasbord of things. Where is my puppet-loving, you know?
Maybe that's naive. Maybe we don't all get life long passions like not everyone who plays a giant claw machine actually gets a prize. Maybe the rest of us get to tie together strings of temporary interests and obsessions and zebra cakes.
I wouldn't be alarmed, dear readers. After I watched "Man on Wire" I wanted to tightrope walk. I guess the real lesson here is that I should stop watching documentaries.
I like all your faces.
25 comments:
I would suggest stop watching documentaries yeah. I don't have something I've been passionate about all my life either. Well not really anything I can turn into a career. I guess some people don't have it. There are people who don't really know what they want to do with life, and some that never learn.
I suddenly have the overwhelming urge to watch this documentary and I hate Elmo. Grover and Cookie Monster are where its at!
Maybe you could try baking your own Zebra cakes? It would combine your love of Zebra cakes and give you another activity in your quest to occupy time.
For me, I've always wanted to be a writer, even since I was young.
I'm totally with you on the "absolutely nothing" that you're passionate about. I'm the same way. It's actually why I left grad school, because who can become a Dr. of something without being passionate about it. When you find a passion, let me know, I might have to steal it.
I'm always insanely jealous of people who just KNOW what they want to do with their lives. I have a really good friend who's known, since we were at three year old kindergarten together, that she wanted to be a doctor when she grew up. To the point where she used to operate on her stuffed toys. And now she's in her fifth year of OB-GYN (ew) residency.
And meanwhile, I'm all "I like books and stuff, so I guess I'll go back to university again?" SIGH.
Shit. That was much more depressing than I meant it to be. Sorry... I guess the moral of my depressing little story is this: you're not alone with not being passionate about something.
I am so envious of people who know what they want to do. Those people who are so sure about what their purpose in life is...I want that. Even though I'm going back to school, it's more to prove to myself I can do it. I have an idea what I want to do with the degree, but I'm not 100% sure what I want to do. It sucks!
I think those people that get a doco done about them are usually in the very small majority of the global population. Most regular, everyday people don't necessarily grow up knowing who they want to be or where they want to go... sometimes it's a matter of finding something that sparks your interest, running with it for a while and seeing if it sticks. I know for sure that the thought of being a lawyer didn't enter my mind properly until I was 1/2 way through law school. I think interests grow and develop and now that you do have some time on your hands, it's time to go out there and give it a go! I know for a fact that you are a great writer... ever thought of doing a writing course? Chin up, girl. Everything has a season... it may be 'winter' at the moment but then there's spring and then summer.. you'll get there :). xo
I think many of us struggle with this and there are few people who are born "knowing" what they are "supposed" to do. The rest of us have to just figure it out and go where life takes us.
Thanks for this, I really liked it. Can’t wait to read more.Wish I’d found this blog earlier. Some really great posts.
I think you should make a documentary about being at home. I'd watch and hopefully you don't ugly cry cause then I'd laugh. We can always make a Tampa mini-documentary.
Oh and btw, I've always 'knew' I wanted to be something...except this has happened a lot and when I realize the work involved, I don't want to be that something anymore. How about...I always knew I wanted to do as little work as possible, get paid a lot, and wave my hand like Mary Poppins and have a clean home.
Couldn't relate more to this if I tried. Not that I want to be a puppeteer because, quite frankly, just no. But I feel I have nothing I'm overly passionate about, except being at the beach. I like a myriad of things but there's nothing that takes the cake. It's upsetting.
Even knowing what you want to do isn't all it's cracked up to be. For instance, I want to be a pro writer, but breaking into the business has been pretty damn hard to do.
I don't know, I've always been jealous of people who discovered lifelong passions from an early age. It seems to me that those are the people who become true masters of their craft, since they have spent more time than most of us on developing their talents. I saw that Elmo documentary on Netflix and I considering watching it, but I passed it up. Now, I might just go back and revisit that link one day :D
The random mentions of cats and zebra cakes made me smile. Setting aside felines and delicious treats - I hope your life has been treating you well, Lor.
~Shane
Have you seen Grizzlyman? My advice, don't watch it. Being a bear's lunch is not awesome. The best bit is the song at the end, I have linked you it, consider this me saving your life...
Elle xo
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wUd_Zglcpyo
This is basically how every inspiring story ever makes me feel. That shit doesn't inspire me so much as depress the hell out of me.
I quite agree - I have never found that one thing that I'm amazing at. maybe someday? But man are those people lucky who have already found it.
www.decoybetty.com
Exactly. I mean, I'm sure there are cons to having that tunneled vision, but still. Knowing what you love is a giant pro.
Yep. This is how I feel about all fashion and craft and food blogs. If I can't have it, or make it a reality in my life, WHY LOOK? DEPRESSING.
Girl, you can't say, "have you seen" and then follow it up with "don't watch it." lol. This link is, uh, yeah okay. Maybe I won't watch it.
Thank you Shane. It's amazing how happy you can be in the midst of all sorts of speedbumps.
On the bright side, you have a leg up on all these people who still don't even know what business they want to break into. ;)
Yeah, well puppets are pretty lame. But, I'm glad you relate to the overall point. ;)
AMEN. DITTO. ALL OF THE ABOVE. I never thought of it this way, really, but I guess I'd want to be a lot more somethings if it all required less work.
I have two extremes: the emotionless, silent, single tear cry OR the UGLY!cry. So basically, you'd laugh at me.
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