Hector and the Search for Happiness and maybe a little of my own...

My friend and I went and saw Hector and the Search for Happiness last night.  I had seen this trailer a while back and was super excited about seeing it.  Unfortunately the trailer was nothing like what I was expecting from the movie.  

Honestly I don’t get to movies very much anymore in the theater for many reasons.  Time, money, and the fact that so many are shot in a shaky style now and intensified on a big screen makes it worse.  Usually I can tell if a movie is shot like this by the trailer, but there are almost always scenes that are shot like this and I have to look away.  So it’s got to be a movie that really piques my interest to get my ass into a theater now a days.

*Spoilers*

The first problem was I may have just gone in with too high of expectations.   

Let’s start with the good – 

The acting was fantastic.  I mean it’s a stellar cast!  Simon Pegg, Rosamund Pike, Christopher Plummer (just loved his monologue), Toni Colette and Jean Reno are all phenomenal actors and none of them disappoint in this movie.  I did enjoy the concept – a psychiatrist realizes he’s not helping his patients and heads out on a quest to find the true meaning of happiness.  He brings this great little journal his girlfriend makes him and when something sticks out they do a fun scrawl it across the screen sort of thing.  Dug it.  Very indie.  Very cool.  And of course there were lovely quotes but most of them were predictable.  The humor filtered throughout the movie was also fantastic.  A dark humor usually but I loved it and found myself laughing out loud more than a few times.

One issue I had, was it was hard to relate to the main character.  He’s a guy with money, who is a successful doctor, great girlfriend and travels to exotic places.  It’s in the same vain as Eat, Pray, Love.  Which I did enjoy but kind of felt the same as I did about this flick.  It was also a bummer that the other characters you didn’t have a chance to really know.  I mean all the above actors I named I loved and would have really liked to know more about their lives.  We just got snippets and I felt jipped.  There was also a scene where Simon Pegg gets kidnapped that seemed a little far-fetched and over the top.  Like they were trying too hard to get an emotional reaction out of the audience.

The other thing that really irked me was the whole damn message at the end was pretty much the main character realizing he really did indeed love his lady and wanted to be with her.  So – just another romantic movie pretty much.  The “happiness” stuff they touched on was so brief and weird.  A millionaire who “buys happiness”, the man who finally came out and now helps folks in Africa, the poor sick woman trying to get to her sister before she dies, hell even the monk had such a brief scene and we didn’t really get to appreciate the beauty of where that story could have gone.  It was all typical/predictable stuff to me.  All those stories felt rushed.  Nothing hit me or struck me emotionally.  

I’m wondering if I should have read the book first.  I actually didn’t realize it was a book dammit!  I read Eat, Pray, Love and did really love it.  Even though I couldn’t necessarily relate to the main character because she had the money to up and travel to three places to find her happiness and get inspired, I still enjoyed the way she wrote.  I enjoyed the frustrations she had, the humor with how she dealt with them.  She made the book totally accessible to someone not in her same financial situation say.  When the movie came out I knew it wouldn’t be as great as the book (They never are) but it was cute.  I enjoyed it.  I actually felt a bit more inspired by that then I did for Hector and the Search for Happiness.  I don’t know if that’s due to the fact that I read the book 1^st or that I just had a different expectation of Hector...

Now, with that said – I did enjoy the movie.  I don’t want anyone to think this movie was bad at all.  I just wish it was advertised more as a relationship-y movie rather than a movie that you think is going to be inspirational.  I mean call it what it is. The man goes off to find what makes him happy - and oh big surprise - it's his girlfriend.

I’m on an interesting journey in my own life right now trying to see where it takes me with this new found outlook on life.  I’m appreciating the journey more for sure.  I’m finding I’m happier with myself than I ever have been which makes me question whether I’ll ever end up in a relationship at all.  This for the 1^st time in my entire life does not make me sad.  It’s weird to write here, since I went back and read some of my older blogs and pretty recently as well,  and this is a totally different feeling but that’s the way it goes I suppose.  We change and ride the flow of life.  See where it takes us.  Don’t expect anything.  I’m enjoying my search.  I don’t want say my search for happiness because I am just that – happy.  But I’m enjoying searching what makes me even more happier, more compassionate to others, more kind, more present, just more.

I used to make “Happy Lists” back in the early blogging days trying to counter my usual unhappy rants so I thought I’d make a current one for where I am now. 

Happy List for almost the end of 2014:

·         Really good sushi

·         Really good wine

·         Napa

·         Hitting that point in meditation where I surprise myself smiling

·         Spending time with my bestie and her daughter

·         Exercise

·         Adorable internet memes

·         Hilarious internet memes

·         Being adored by Lila & Henri

·         Making my boss laugh so hard she cries

·         Starting work on a new creative project

·         Sunny pool floats

·         Seeing my cousins

·         Lunches with Dad

·         Finding new music

·         Sending happy gifts

·         Making someone smile

·         Getting caught up in music

·         Conquering nemesis obstacles

·         Making new friends

·         Halloween Events

·         Purr filled nuzzles from my girls

·         Waking up from a good night’s sleep

I could actually go on and on for another page or too!

This list sure comes so much easier than it used to.

I am a lucky girl.

Orange County Fire Service Memorial...

Today I attended the Orange County Fire Service Memorial.  This is an event where they pay tribute and honor firefighters who have passed away the prior year.

Unfortunately I got notice a bit late since they probably tried to call my grandparents’ house number which of course is no longer in service.  A fireman friend called my dad and mentioned Papa’s name was in it so Dad then tells me on Friday.  Oh by the way the thing is Monday.  Oh and all he knew was where it was.  WTF!?

I hunted around on the internet and was transferred a few times after calling the Orange County Fire Authority and finally got someone who could help.  She was very sweet and jokingly annoyed that I wasn’t alerted earlier.  The man running the event sent me the PDF and told me to be there a bit before 10am.

My boss graciously didn’t even give it a 2^nd thought letting me go, so this morning I nervously got ready and headed out.  Dad can’t handle going to Fireman Memorials.  Shane couldn’t get off work.  Mom can’t handle it.  And gramma is too ill and out of sorts so she doesn’t even know about it.  I’m on my own.

I head down to Downtown Santa Ana and see the road is closed and a bunch of fire trucks there with the flag in between.  Wow.  This is quite a to-do!  I drove through a parking structure with no luck, then went to another a few blocks down thanking my lucky stars I left real early and trotted to the event.  I arrived sweaty and out of breath and asked a Battalion Chief what do I do if I’m a family member.  He directed me to the fellow who emailed me and said to have a seat in the special area and when they call Papa’s name I go up and place a rose at the feet of the statue.  Great.  They handed me a bottle of water, I sat down, took a deep breath and tried to prepare.

Here’s a blip about the touching statue:

In 1980 the Association researched the idea of building a monument dedicated to fallen firefighters here in Orange County. July 1, 1993 a construction permit was obtained and groundbreaking ceremonies were held at the site located in civic center on Broadway in the city of Santa Ana. Oct. 9, 1993 the monument was dedicated, and statue depicting Monsignor John Sammon was added and dedicated July 12, 1995. Each year there is a memorial service held honoring those who have passed on the prior year. The annual service is now held on September 11^th

Above the statue is a bell.  Each time a name was read they rang the bell.  Then at the end of the naming they did what’s called the “final alarm” ringing it nine times in 3 sets of 3.  It was beautiful.

The cadets arrived and those poor kids stood guard the entire thing.  FYI – it’s about 95 degrees today. 

There was a welcome then an opening prayer.  This was then followed by the Presentation of Colors.  I’ve seen this before and it’s very military like – very tradition – very regiment – and very beautiful.  Fireman march up being led by the (left..left..right…left..etc) fellow.  Some carry axes, two carry the flags.  I started to partially lose it here.

We then did the pledge of allegiance then we sat down as the names were read. 

The 1^st rose was placed at the foot of the statue in honor of all those we lost on 9/11.  I started to cry.  The names were then read by city.  There were a total of about 30.  I’m so glad Santa Ana was near the end because I got to see how it worked.  They called the name, if a family member was present they went up and along with a representative (they looked like chiefs and captains) gave you a rose, you walked up and placed it at the foot of the statue.  The fireman then saluted while you stood there and then you walked back.  If there was no family member the fireman representative went up and placed the rose and saluted.  It was so touching.  When Papa’s name was called I was shaking.  I also started to cry.  Thank GAWD for sunglasses.  I shakily walked up with the fireman, kissed the rose then placed at the statue.  He saluted and we walked back.  I was now sobbing quietly. 

After the names were read they did the final alarm.  Bawling.  I think I was the only one.

They read the Oath of Office.

Then Taps was played.  Hello song that rips my fucking heart out every time it’s played.  They announced the drum/bagpipe fellows who came and then played Amazing Fucking Grace.  Let’s now add salt and lemon to my open heart.

They retired the colors.

Then some closing words.

I hightailed it out of there and sobbed in my car for about 20 minutes then pulled it together to return to work.

It was truly such a beautiful ceremony and the fact that they even do it is so wonderful.  I was so damn happy I could be there because the fire department was so very important to my Papa.  I know he was watching me wherever he is. 

Below is a little blip from the OC Register.

Register Article