writing prompt #96

96. Write about a movie that made a strong impression on you:

That would have to be one of my favorite movies, A Bronx Tale. I was thinking about that this movie early this morning for some reason while I was driving on the 405 with the sun rising in the east over the spine of the Cascades while trying to steer with one hand and drink a cup of tea with the other...whew. Probably what motivated this totally random thought was something J---- said to me the other day-he always says the most thought-provoking things rather unexpectedly. I got to thinking that you know, I honestly can say that if you see this movie, you'll have a pretty succint version of a good portion of my personal philosophy of life.

Yep, the Bronk Tale is a darn good movie, for both reasons of entertainment and contemplating the deeper philosophical questions of life and adolescence.

Coming of age "When you're older, you'll understand"

Street justice "nobody fucked with these guys", "This time, they walked into the wrong bar...I'm the one who did this to you. Remember me."

Peer pressure "We would cut class and hang out all day and night." "This shit is not for you. Those kids are gonna get you in trouble." "But they're my friends". "They're jerk-offs."

Who we admire and why "I always tried to imitate Sonny"

Street Education "I was getting two educations: from the street and from school. That way I'd be twice as smart..."

Living with Racial tensions "Stay out of our neighborhood!"

The importance of love "Worry about yourself, your family, the people that are important to you."

Doing the right thing. "You gotta do what your heart tells you to do."

Don't be a rat. "I didn't rat, Dad". "No, you didn't rat." "I did a good thing, right?" "All I knew was...a rat was the lowest thing you could be in my neighborhood...

Relationships: "On warm summer nights all through the neighborhood...you would hear young Italian men romancing their women."

- Hey, Marie!
- Get in the fucking car!
- No!
- Get in the car!
- Leave me alone!
- You know I love you.
- Yeah, bullshit!
- Get in the fucking car!

Know thyself: "The saddest thing in life is wasted talent.If you've got talent and do the wrong thing, nothing happens.But when you do right, good things happen..."The saddest thing in life is wasted talent."

Love knows no color. "She was tall, she was beautiful...and she was classy. But she was black. And that was a no-no in my neighborhood."

Let the small things go. "He's out of your life for twenty dollars. You got off cheap."


And these final words of wisdom:

I learned something from these two men.
I learned to give love and get love unconditionally.You just have to accept people
for what they are.
And I learned the greatest gift of all. The saddest thing in life
is wasted talent. And the choices that you make will shape your life forever.