Thursday, January 2, 2014

Walter Mitty 'n Me!

Last week, I nearly gave myself a heart attack when my hubby and I went to the local theatre 
no names mentioned, but come to think of it, its logo did happen to have a "6" on it) to watch 
The Secret Life of Walter Mitty.

Here are some things you should know:
  • We went to the 9:40 PM show. 
  • It cost thirty-two dollars.
  • Cross-my-heart, the previews lasted for thirty-two minutes.
  • We were ultra-conservative & bought
    • a) one small buttered popcorn and
    • b) one medium Diet Coke.
  • By the time the movie finally started we were:
    • 1) already half-asleep
    • 2) grouchy
    • 3) ready to go home already      
Once the initial heart attack wore off and the sum-total of 10 buttered pieces of popcorn began to work their way down, we settled in for what I thought might be an okay movie.

Was I ever wrong. To say that this movie had a profound impact on my heart, would be an understatement... I left the cinema-with-the-number-six-in-its-logo with this kindred-spirit heart connection to the main character that it was undeniable. In fact, I felt so "connected" to Walter Mitty that I came home, went online and googled the Life motto that continually showed up on the walls, and signs, and in the streets of the city where Walter walked past as he was on his way to work each day.

“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 of life.”
**Oh how that motto penetrated the shadowy places in my heart in a way I can't explain. (But I'll certainly try...) For you see, every day, this mild-mannered character named Me walks past shelf after shelf of other people’s books… other illustrators vision’s… other author’s dreams.

Every day she reads aloud to hundreds of school children the words written by other once-aspiring authors and illustrators. Yet, her stories have never had the chance to be published. Her stories sit on the back shelf of her heart, collecting dust.


Because... well, the truth is... a story pretty-much has to be written first, before it can be published. 

Just like Walter, Angie once dreamed of publishing her own books but college writing and all-out life kept her dream catalogued in a manila envelope marked, “Maybe Someday…” tucked away in a drawer of obligations that never prioritized... never had a due-date.

Now, she spends her days as a “storyteller”, selecting and telling other people’s stories and reshelving other people’s published work and fulfilled dreams… but never her own.

While one passion requires crafting her God-Given gift of revealing inspirational words through her life’s stories… the other allows no time to write... not.a.single.word.  

*Unwritten stories + Life interference = Unfulfilled dreams*

She can barely bring herself to sit down at the keyboard and just.write. The stories that have already been written in her heart and edited through life’s harshest lessons can not.get.out.

She sits. And she falls asleep...
One day it dawns on her, that quite honestly, she never dreams anymore.

She remembers the 1982 movie, High Road to China, where the phrase, “When you lose your dream, you die.” resonates in her heart. The dreams are dusty and wrinkled… but she knows, deep inside her heart that the dreams have not died. She still has hope, although truthfully, sometimes she feels like her creative muse died in the rat-trap of her life journey Her days are like a spinning gerbil wheel~ going round and round and round and never going anywhere. 

She can't get the words of the Life Motto from Walter Mitty out of her mind...

BeliefNet sums up Walter Mitty's search like this: 
"The only way to find Sean’s photo is to find Sean…" 

She nods at herself in agreement. "That Walter Mitty 'n me... we've certainly got lots in common." 

She nods at herself in agreement. "We've certainly got lots in common, that Walter Mitty 'n me... ." 
Then it hit her like a ton'a bricks!! 
The only way to find my book is to find myself…
The only way to find my book is to find myself…

BeliefNet goes on to surmise: 
     "Walter might have stayed in his quiet, safe, lonely little world forever, living through his daydreams and half-living in reality.  But there comes a time when real life intrudes on dreams.

The still small voice inside of me continues to nudge:
"Angie might have stayed in her quiet, safe, lonely little world 
forever, living through her daydreams of becoming a writer and half-living in reality and work. But there comes a time when real life intrudes on dreams"
and to that I might add, "Until one day, when deep-seeded dreams WAKE UP... and retaliate!

**Enter stage left ~ the year 2014**
The year when my dreams are welcome to wake me up each day and demand that they be written ~ 
and lived out for God's glory!
Break it down...
“To see the world,  I have a true heart for missions. There's a deep desire inside my heart to be more than just one who prays for others who are called to go. Since I was a teenager, I have feel called to go... but never have had the opportunity to do so.
things dangerous to come to, I must say... I'm not a real risk-taker, especially when it comes to danger and uncertainty. But I know that wherever my feet may go, God is right there with me. 
Psalm 27:1 The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The LORD is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?  
to see behind walls, not physical walls... but emotional ones that hurting people put up. Lord, let them see you through me. Let them feel You when I speak.
draw closer, to your heart, oh God. So that others might see
to find each other and to feel. Most importantly... to find myself, and to reach out to others and feel their hurts and share their joys!
This is my wilderness... but I am not alone.
And so...
My official motto for 2014 shall be:
"Spirit lead me where my trust is without borders"
       May this be my prayerful re-purposing of my life in 2014.





6 comments:

  1. Great motto! Praying your leap of faith will find you flying!

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    Replies
    1. Thanks, Mike! With God, I know that He's got some great things in store so that my dreams will SOAR!!

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    2. If there's any way I can help or be an encouragement or just another sounding board don't hesitate to let me know.

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  2. Just having a fellow Christian writer read and comment is always what God uses to encourage us to write for his glory!

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  3. Thanks for sharing your heart in this Angie. You mention repeatedly the need to find yourself. I'd encourage you as you walk down that road to remember: we can't define who we are, only our Creator defines who we are. So instead of asking "Who am I?", ask "Who does God say I am.?" If you have put your hope in Christ, every single verse in the Bible with the phrase "In Christ" or "in Him" defines who you are. You are a child of God... You are deeply loved... You are forgiven, sealed, complete, powerful, etc. This realization completely changed how I viewed myself and freed me up to live the life God had called me to live.

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  4. Well we are certainly kindred spirits in terms of how we want to live life this year. It's only the beginning of February, but I've already had to put it to the test, in situations I had not anticipated. I'll look forward to following your journey to live unafraid! Added you to my bloglovin' reader.

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