Be True to You

My wife (and the women of our church, Eastside Community) were on their annual ladies retreat to be refreshed, renewed, and encouraged both spiritually, emotionally, and physically to be there best in all the many roles they perform in their lives.

I had decided to spend a guy’s night with my good church friend, “Manning.” We tended to have similar interests in movie viewing, and had done this in the past. (Both of our wives were at the church retreat.)

I really had no desire to spend an evening by myself at home without my wife, who has definitely become my better half in every way possible. (After all, can a husband really experience solitary living at all with three unusual Chihuahua canines in his house?)

I knew absolutely nothing about the bizarre sounding movie beginning with the letter”r” and starring Leonardo DiCaprio (from Titanic) that Manning wanted to see.*

I decided to be a team player, and experience something different on Friday evening at 7pm at the theater in the StoneRidge complex in Gahanna.

In the darkness of the theater, my arthritic knee started throbbing painfully. (The shot from Dr. Jonesco the day prior didn’t seem to be working as well as it had in past semi-annual injections.)

 Very soon into this cinematic experience, I was lost and confused with the plot. A good percentage of the movie was in a language I’d never heard (complete with subtitles).

 I thought (but was unsure) the time period was somewhere in history There were warring Indians (and I believe) French settlers that disliked each other very much. Violence seemed to be the consistent theme throughout the movie.

I had the utter horror of viewing the bloody effects of gunfire and flaming arrow death; a man being mauled by a very large; intimidating bear (and the results of living through it); that same man being partially buried alive, the consequences of a hanging, scalping, and slaughtering of an Indian village.

From the look on my Manning’s face, the violence didn’t seem to be an issue for him. Early into this experience, my intuition told me I had made a very wrong choice. I wondered how I could exit the theater with as little emotional upset to Manning as possible.

Should I be honest and leave? Fake a bathroom run and never return? Maybe I could use the pain in my knee as an honest reason to leave.

At home, I tend enjoy viewing situational comedy shows and romantic Hallmark and Lifetime movies. I’ve never enjoyed viewing shows where people are being murdered (or hurt). I tried to calmly watch the movie for what seemed like (eternity). Turmoil, disgust, and anger were all boiling up inside me.

My breaking point (and reason to leave), was a pleading, crying young Indian woman (who’d been tied to a tree) and repeatedly violated (raped) by man, who found his actions hilarious and of no real consequence. With a wife and daughter I treasured, I couldn’t condone this type of behavior to any female.

Manning looked a little bewildered when I loudly whispered the word “offensive” as I hobbled out. Only one time before in my life can I remember asking to get a refund for a movie I disliked.

I don’t go to a lot of movies (by myself or with someone else) unless it’s something I can’t wait to get from my local library after it’s out on DVD, or it’s an adaptation of a book I’ve read and enjoyed.

I have no religious issue with going to movies (even though I was raised differently). Evening movies are rather expensive at $8.00 each in my part of the country. (The price of a movie experience can get even higher with refreshments added on.)

On my way out of Cinemark 16, I asked for another movie ticket the next day. The customer service personnel acted promptly to my request as if it was no problem. (“Did this happen on a regular basis,” I wondered.)

Upon my request, a comedy with a big name comedian was suggested the next morning. I accepted the ticket, and made my way home.

Proverbs 24:5-6 (MSG) says, “It’s better to be wise than strong…to win, you need a lot of good counsel.” I should have researched this movie further. I could have gotten advice from several good friends (who were aware of its violence) before viewing it with Manning. 

Never should I have been true to myself (what makes me Robert) by not ignoring my own convictions to make a friend happy. By not walking out of this movie earlier, I have some horrific memories of human suffering that may be with for a long time to come.

In the light of my experience, read Galatians 6:7-8. Think about this. What will be the eventual outcome for you of the visual images (and thoughts) your mind feeds on?

Just remember, garbage in produces garbage out. As always, results from actions can be of the good (or bad) variety. It’s all up to you. God knows the real truth (on everything that happens in our ever-changing world).

*NOTE: Though I will not provide the name of this movie, I will offer adequate clues to discover it on the Internet (if you are curious).