eternal and spotless
You either get moved or entertained by a movie; otherwise, the movie is worthless to you. Since the beginning of the cable-TV era, I have watched same movies repeatedly because of the simple reaosn that they were played repeatedly on TV. Mama tried to stop me from watching same movies but gave up because she found herself watching same movies repeatedly too. Why is it hard to drag ourselves away from the TV, from a movie that we have watched again and again? One reason is that this is a moving or entertaining movie. It is like a good book making you read again and again until you can repeat every line. For example, Stephen Chow's movies define my generation. His movie lines build the conversations and social interactions.
Without a TV cable subscription, it is much harder to watch same movies over and over again. So I bought DVDs. Tonight, I watched Eternal Sunshine of Spotless Mind. I saw it in the theater for the first time. I loved it, and bought the DVD. I watched it, and loved it and told people how I loved it. That was four years ago? Oh, gosh, time really can fly.
Watching it again tonight with my new TV reminded me how great this movie is, and new fondness was created; that is, I like it even more now. How clever the story is. How well the director made the cuts. How convincing the actors' mutual chemistry is. How precise each character's role is.
The world forgetting, by the world forgot.
Eternal sunshine of the spotless mind!
Each pray'r accepted, and each wish resign'd;
Moving has cleaned up my collections in physical world and mental life. Things are re-organized. Thoughts are re-analyzed. I realized how unhealthy or depressing during the past two years of postdoc. Those years were not simply post-doc but post-PennState, post-school, and post-breakup. Living in South Orange forced me spending too much time with myself and memories, preventing me from moving on. When you have to constantly consciously tell yourself to move on, it is not a good sign, and it is damn hard to move on.
Just three weeks after moving, I feel refreshing and happier than ever. I ran by the river, looking at Manhattan, smiling to other runners, thinking nothing but focusing only on the sounds and views of my surroundings. I sat in my red couch, in my bed, on my bar stool, within the window-side corner, on the floor with or without the carpet. With almost everything new to me, I feel released from the past. Memory, thus, decades more rapidly. I am such a sad person, only recall upsetting memories.
If I were seeking help in the memory-erasing clinic, I would have huge breakdowns and provided them a brain map super easy to find. I am too focused.
Recently, many Taiwanese start using Facebook. A lot of my old classmates "friended" me. Some of them, I do not remember. If you and I have not contacted each other for so many years, the reason is simple: we did not connect and probably would not and should not. If the picture of you or the name of you cannot remind me of anything of you (i.e., you are not in my brain map of memory), I really don't know how Facebook will make us closer. But I added many "friends" nonetheless for the sake of social pressure. What the hell.
Many of them, I thought, had been erased by the perfect human system but some traces were left. A few traces trigger pieces of memory. Pieces of memory get connected. Boom, ah! you! how could I remember those details? But I do remember those details. Amazing. I am amazed by my mind.
Now I remember why I loved the movie even more after the second view than the first theater appreciation. This movie is a good application of cognitive/affective psychology. It should be a required film to watch for all psych major.
Moved and entertained, I am very satistied. This memory of feeling is eternal and spotless.
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