And I guess, as trite as it may sound, this did make an impact towards a very personal journey over the ensuing years since.
The movie is "Good Morning, Vietnam!" and, being a comedy, I guess I wouldn't blame you for thinking it a rare source of soul-searching content. But comedic shell notwithstanding, of course, the film does take place smack in the midst of the gruesome years of the Vietnam War, "in country" as they'd say. My little slice of introspection comes not from a grisly battle scene or even a sorrowful death, of which there are some in this movie, it's a classroom full of adult Vietnamese learning "expressive English" (i.e. cuss words and phrases) quite unconventionally, from Robin's character, an American G.I. radio DJ cum reluctantly-volunteered ESL instructor. Cronauer, Robin's character, tries to illicit a zinger response from one of the students, a quiet, older man, and the man is asked directly what he would do if a waitress spilled soup on his trousers unapologetically and he responds "I do nothing." The class roars with laughter. The scenario is ramped higher in intensity, the man simply states: "I just remain reticent." Pushing him further, Cronauer escalates the situation proportionally, right up to the point of "they take knives and stab you; they put spoons in your eyes!" The man patiently reflects a second and says "I'm waiting to die."
The last bit is the most famous of his responses, and it's the one I reflect on repeatedly. I made a substitution in the title of this post, well, 'cause frankly, today, you never know. What with the world as it is, phrases get misconstrued, even quotes from almost 40-year-old movies.
The "reticent" sentiment applies just as well though since, amazingly, after all the above, this is NOT a post about a movie. It's not even about the sublime realization that I've lived with, all these years since, that, yes, in fact, so we all are as well Mr. Wilky, we all are waiting to die. Some admit it more readily than others it seems.
Existentialism aside, (all though not entirely since it interweaves everything, doesn't it?) I'm posting about my recent evaluation, yet again, of the condition of my health and the healthcare I'm getting.
Though I fully admit, like all of us, I too, am just waiting to die, I'd rather it not be "anytime soon." So, to that end, what do I do about it? Well, first of all, the operative word here is "I." It has to begin and end with me. I have to take control and stay in control of what I do to Avoid, Maintain and Improve.
Avoid: Be aware of risks and actively seek alternatives and directions avoiding any new ailments, injuries or disabilities from arising.
Maintain: Be proactive in my own treatment of my existing conditions to maximize the benefits of mitigating factors as well as minimizing the actions and circumstances that exacerbate these.
Improve: Be the sole agent responsible for creating and adhering to objectives and goals to improve health incrementally and sustainably.
I scratched my head back in 1987 when I saw "Good Morning, Vietnam!" regarding Wilky's philosophy. I, like the rest of the audience, could tell, from the wonderful way the actor performed, that he wasn't just "playing it up for laughs." Wilky meant it. He was, of course, evoking a (perhaps misunderstood) core tenet of Buddhism -- to eschew worldly things, even one's own life -- in order to avoid violence. I just couldn't, at the age of 23, understand how someone could ever think this way.
To this I just try to keep my own body in relative functional shape, so I can continue to go on.
And about all the rest -- I just remain reticent.