Do You Choose the Smoothest Course?

I am an avid fan of Disney movies and enjoy bringing them to real life situations (see And It Starts....You Think You Know a Guy...) Today's focus is Pocahontas. You remember that particular scene where she is in her canoe and has to decide what path to take? "Should I choose the smoothest course, steady as the beating drum?" There are two choices: choose the steady path or choose this winding and rocky path.

And as the movie continues we know she chooses the rocky path to John Smith, finding love to John getting shot to being sent away. Ok, yeah we know. Epic but slightly tragic ending.

But what if she had chosen the steady path?
If she had chosen Kocuom? Kocuom may not have died the way he did. Pocahontas may have found peace in her marriage to Kocuom, had some babies and may have taken a different role in trying to bridge the gap between the English and her people.

I guess my point is would that have been so bad? Sure it would've been less excited, not as epic and it may not have made a good movie without the drama and tension. But I'm talking about someone's life. And in real life, drama doesn't always pay off.

In everything, we all crave some sort of excitement. We love the idea of movies and books because it allows us to escape to another reality that doesn't necessary disrupt the flow of our lives. You can enjoy the experience of someone running for their lives but don't necessarily want to experience it yourself.

For instance, I want the fast and furious rise to the top - the movie version of getting found,  published and gaining J.K. Rowling status (with the movies, theme parks, etc). But is that really real life? Is that really the experience I need? Is it really going to make me a better writer? It would be awesome and again a great story. But with anything fast and furious comes RIDICULOUS amounts of drama. Probably there'll be backstabbing in there, with some...oh I don't know, extortion or threats or....and knock on wood lost of life.

You must be like, really Kris? Hey, I'm just saying! With anything that seems too exciting comes with side effects.Could you handle it?

And even if you choose the smoothest course, it doesn't mean that your life is over. If you approach each experience with a different outlook each time, that in itself is a great adventure. Slight changes in habit can bring something new. The moment you believe that your life can't be exciting is when you have shut the door to any possibility of it.

For me, I am accepting the fact that my novelist career may not be material for the next Quentin Tarantino film. But I'm finding joy and excitement in the smaller things. Would I be unhappy if my life became something like the movies? Ehh...If it did, there wouldn't be much I could do about it.

But if it didn't, I wouldn't be torn about it either.