There’s an old saying that revolves around Hollywood and the public and it goes something like this, in the form of a question, of course.
Does Hollywood reflect or shape the values of America?
Perhaps Hollywood shifts the shape of the viewing public from some internal place of lewdness, vulgarity, sexuality, and violence. Or, they simply reflect what they see in existence and feel compelled to tell the story. Often, their stories are “based on factual events” but then embellished because they can, or they want the viewer to be attracted or repelled by certain aspects of the storyline.
Regardless, their story telling is mostly about making money.
We are drawn and repelled by storytellers. Somewhere between the edges of fact and fiction lies our personal story. Like the tide, we are drawn in and then driven out – all the while picking up and leaving pieces of ourselves in new territory.
Hollywood construes their productions as art, and art has beauty in every form, so let’s allow the artist latitude to tell the story the way they want. As long as they have the financial backing to produce their art form.
Reality vs Memorex
Perhaps it’s Ella Fitzgerald and the Memorex commercials from the early ‘70s. Was it her live voice that shatters the glass, or was it the recording? I guess you had to have been there!
When you look in a mirror, the image of you stares back. Is it exact? No. It’s a “reverse” image. It may reflect exactly, but put yourself into the mirror with that same “right hand touching your right ear” and now it’s on the opposite side of the reflection.
Regardless, does it reflect exact proportions? It depends. Is the mirrors shape, size and quality good enough to reflect proportionally? Again. It depends. The base behind the reflector substance must be perfectly flat else the reflection will be distorted. Why? Light will be reflected from an imperfect surface…. [Source]
Have you ever stood in a hall of mirrors perfectly placed on each side? When you look in either direction, your image goes off into eternity. There is no ending. Lean in. Look closely. Your image never stops!
In Quantum Mechanics, the theory of “parallel universes” proposes that side by side our “normal” world is a parallel world that can operate on a different premise. In fact, some think that a wrong mistake here may be made right there, so everything balances out in the end.
What’s my thinking this morning…
I’ve titled this “Shape Shifters” because of some background thinking. Deep Thinking! My thought ended at this question.
Are my friends shaping me to be like them, or am I shifting myself to be more like them?
Realize this, friends, and those we choose to hang out with, causes us to shift our view of our values and choices. It may be we are shaping their views with our views. But I’ve found this to be true: With friends, there is seldom middle ground.
Why? We are normally looking for someone that reflects who we are, and until you find that person you will go through a litany of “so-called” friends.
In Proverbs, Solomon describes friendship like this:
“As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens the wits of another.”
Proverbs 27:17 (GW)
It is never a one-way exchange. You give, and you take. You change, exchange. Watch out! You become, and leave part of yourself on the heap. Rough edges may be filed away, but sometimes you leave some skin hanging!
Who Are My Friends
I’m not sure I have a friend that is as close as we read about King David and Jonathan. There must have been 10 years separating them when they finally met. One study suggests David was nearing 30, and Jonathan was an old hand at war at the age of 40.
Nevertheless, after David defeats Goliath in 1 Samuel 17, we find them meeting each other for the first time in the next chapter.
And it came to pass, when he had made an end of speaking unto Saul,
that the soul of Jonathan was knit with the soul of David,
and Jonathan loved him as his own soul.
And Saul took him that day, and would let him go no more home to his father’s house.
Then Jonathan and David made a covenant, because he loved him as his own soul.
And Jonathan stripped himself of the robe that was upon him, and gave it to David, and his garments, even to his sword, and to his bow, and to his girdle.
And David went out whithersoever Saul sent him, and behaved himself wisely: and Saul set him over the men of war, and he was accepted in the sight of all the people, and also in the sight of Saul’s servants.
(1 Samuel 18:1-5 KJV)
Something happened that day. It was not only the victory over Goliath or the recognition from King Saul, but it was also the soul connection between two men separated by age, experience, and privilege.
Who Is Your Friend?
Jonathan was there for David even when he became the enemy of King Saul. David was there for Jonathan in life and death, and a restorer of Jonathan’s son to a place of privilege. Mephibosheth… (2 Samuel 9) A crippled son of Jonathan was now restored to the palace to sit at the table of the King.
Oh, that I had a friend that was like Jonathan was to David, and David was to Jonathan… Wait… I do! Share on XI will tell you I have a few friends that are like this to me, and I hope I am to them. We are spread over the miles and across the years. We seldom spend quality time together. In life, and in death, I know they are there for me. I hope they know I’m there for them. These shape-shifting friends have simply made me be the better person I am today.