Between B&W

Tonight I watched You’ve Got Mail for the second time. And like the first time, I liked it a lot. I really did.

As silly as it seems, the light-hearted narrative is every bit as predictable as heart-warming. I haven’t quite figured out what exactly about the film that touched me. Perhaps it is the subtle wittiness of the dialogues. Perhaps it is simply witnessing the beauty of a modern romeo & juliet romance blossom. Perhaps it is relating to each character’s journey to triumph in a city that is becoming so close to my heart – a city where so many souls are searching for the same inner voice for guidance, and yet facing the same dilemma between following the inner voice once found and giving into the tidal wave of society – a city where making the fine distinction between bravery and naivety seems nearly impossible.

I love what Kathleen wrote, “Sometimes I wonder about my life. I lead a small life – well, valuable, but small – and sometimes I wonder, do I do it because I like it, or because I haven’t been brave? So much of what I see reminds me of something I read in a book, when shouldn’t it be the other way around? I don’t really want an answer. I just want to send this cosmic question out into the void. So good night, dear void.”

Don’t we all lead small, but valuable lives? How do we know if this is the best life we could lead? How do we know if there could be something better and more significant that we could be part of? If only we knew all the alternative lives we could possibly lead, and we sift through the list, like spinning a rolodex looking for that perfect alphabet, and go ‘yes that is the one I am looking for.’

If only.