Here's to Randy the "RAM" Robinson (and to Mickey Rourke), for making his own choices and creating his own personal journey!
Adrienne's review: "I loved it. His journey was his own. You feel for the father/daughter dynamic but I choose to love my father for who he is and not what everyone else expects him to be or wants him to be. Kind of felt the same way here. He messed up with her but why have expectations from someone who has never fulfilled them in the past. I guess that's hope, huh? Anyway, two thumbs up here."
Her comment, "his journey was (is) his own." is exactly how I feel about my retirement and my plans after. I know I am not perfect, have made mistakes, and probably have (or will) hurt someone along the way. Additionally, I know I haven't always made the best decisions in my life, but those were choices I made. The purpose for this journey is to find out what I am capable of.
I think this is the perfect time to describe my thoughts on right and wrong. I don't know if these two words should exist. Why not just good or bad? Instead of a right or wrong decision, why can't it simply be a good or bad decision? If you say "right or wrong" you are automatically creating a judgment. If you state "good or bad" then you imply a personal choice not relating to anyone else and only based on your personal experiences and/or thoughts. Additionally, once you make a choice/decision and you take action, it can't be taken back...no such thing as "do-overs" in real life. So, does that automatically make it a "right/wrong" as opposed to a "good/bad" decision or does all of this simply depend on the outcome or perspective? Hmmmmmmmmmm. I live my life with no regrets. This is only possible based upon my personal philosophy of choosing "good/bad" over "right/wrong".
On to the review...the Wrestler did make bad decisions, but that didn't make him right or wrong, good or bad or even evil. He just lived his life. However, he neglected many "good/bad" things in his life and chose what he perceived to be "right." Is that how a man should be judged? Shouldn't a man be allowed to live his life without judgment?
"Do not judge a man until you have walked a day in his shoes."--anonymous
Sure, he had his faults and issues, but that is his personal burden to bear. Again, we delve into judgment. Should anyone really concern themselves with choices someone else has made or may make in regard to how it effects them and only them?
"What other people think of you is none of your business...mind your own business."--anonymous
Of course, he had problems which occurred because of his choices, but whose burden is that to bear? Is it his family, friends, and acquaintances obligation to bear any of this responsibility or to concern themselves with what he has done, is doing, or is going to do? Don't we all have enough issues, problems, concerns, and worries of our own without having to take on any additional responsibilities?
"If we all threw our problems in a pile and saw everyone else's, we'd grab ours back."--anonymous
The following are comments on his decision to sacrifice all (his life) for what he knows he is good at. The dilemma is that this is all he honestly knows; he doesn't know or choose to explore that which he may be capable of. He never truly expanded beyond, took any risks, or attempted to discover something else inside him. This truly is a tragic tale of lost opportunity. Instead of realizing the obstacles in his life and taking chances, risks, and looking for other opportunities or making choices to effect his situation, he chose the path of least resistance by continuing to pursue that with which he is familiar and knows he is capable of accomplishing. Ironically, all of this is encouraged by the "crowd." This is all an example of what true potential might have prevented by his realization of the other options he had in front of him. His ulitmate failure to realize any opportunity saddens me. (disclaimer: in keeping with my previous statements, this is not a judgment of the Wrestler; man or character, but simply my own personal observation in relation to myself.)
* Note: In attempting to find the graphic on this post, it took 15 minutes to find the correct representation I feel conveys the true emotion of this film and my post. The graphics used in the mass media for "The Wrestler" is of The Ram hanging his head, exhausted on the ropes...I don't see it that way. I see it as my blog portrays, as a man undaunted and unafraid taking on any opponent by leaping from the top rope (the DVD graphic was the only representation I could find). Of course, this is just my observation, but I do find it very interesting.
Lastly, I have thoughts on expectation. "If you have expectations, expect to be disappointed."--DB Robertson
