Adventure #36: Cinematic Adventures

"Your life is an occasion. Rise to it." -Mr. Magorium

I don't trust movie review sites. One such site gave my favorite movie Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium a 37% rating. This same site gave Noah a 77% rating. Again, I disagree. At the very least, those number should be switched. And here's why:

Why Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium Is My Favorite Movie

When first seeing Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium, I related to the Sock Monkey. He wanted the attention of the Mutant. On some level, I think the Monkey knew the Mutant needed the reminder it's okay to be child-like too.  And, even though the colorful, magical world had already drawn me in, the connection with the Sock Monkey hooked me for the duration.

Since that hook, I've lost count how many times I've seen this movie. And as I grow, I relate to different characters at different times. I've been Molly Mahoney, who is lost and is searching for her full potential. I've been the Mutant, who is so serious in his life, he's forgotten that fun is allowed. I've been Eric, who just wants to make friends and be accepted as he is. I've been Mr. Magorium, whose goal is to bring happiness and create wonder. And I've been the Store - I pout when people leave; I throw a tantrum when things are about to change - good or bad. 

The characters are the #1 reason I keep coming back to this movie.

These characters that I keep coming back for have also given me the best lines. 

• "We must face tomorrow whatever it may hold with determination, joy, and bravery."
• "37 seconds. We breathe. We pulse. We regenerate. Our hearts beat. Our minds create. Our souls ingest. 37 seconds well used is a lifetime."
• "All stories, even the ones we love, must eventually come to an end and when they do, it's only an opportunity for another story to begin."
• "No matter what they tell you, you don't have to stay within the lines."
• "It's you. You're a block of wood." 

With these lines and characters, I can turn to this movie for any emotion. If I want to laugh or cry, if I want to find comfort or learn something, Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium covers it all. There's the whimsical nature of the toy store, the seriousness of death, the happiness in growth and discovery, and safety in love.

A vital component in the emotional nature of this story is how the characters go through the grieving process.
 Denial - Mahoney drags Mr. Magorium to the hospital because she thinks he can't be departing.
 Bargaining - Mahoney showing Mr. Magorium what he as to live for, Eric trying to buy the store.
 Anger - Eric's insistence that Mahoney run the store, the Store's temper tantrum.
 Depression - The Store turns black, Mr. Magorium's good-bye scene.
 Acceptance - The block of wood flies, Mahoney discovers her magic.

Putting aside the emotions, logistically, the music is beautiful. For instance, how flowing and fun all the pieces are. And how this music grows with the story. I also love the inclusion of books, games, art, animals, and so many awe-inspiring aspects of human nature.

And so when all of this is combined in one film, there is magic. This magic is reflected in the portrayal of love. This is one movie that has no 'Boy falls for girl and girl for boy' story. However, Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium bursting with love. It is found in the devotion the Store has for Mr. Magorium. Also, the kindness exchanged between the Mutant and Mahoney. Eric finds friendship in the Mutant. Mahoney's admiration for Mr. Magorium. Mr. Magorium's treatment of  EVERYONE! They love each other in the most fundamental way - the way that every person needs.

The characters keep me coming back and love keeps the story alive.

One final aspect that puts this movie over the top for me: when Mr. Magorium is in the hospital, Eric brings him an euphonium. An EUPHONIUM! That is the instrument that I play! Does anyone out there even know what that is? Most people don't when I tell them about this fabulous instrument. But this puts it over the top because it's so, so personal. What movie has an euphonium? None, I tell you, none! I can't guarantee that everyone will find a connection that personal but there is something for everyone in this film.

So I suggest everyone watch it and enjoy your adventures!


P.S. This is an euphonium -

Adventure #35: Wall of Kindness

Friends mean well. Most of the time their advice is impeccable. Sometimes, however, their advice takes a while to sink in - or is still sinking in. Specifically, over the course of the last 7 years, I've had three friends attempt to teach me essentially the same thing but I'm still working on the concept. Originally, the lesson was to be assertive. The next time it was to do what I wanted. Most recently, it came in the form of a diagnosis - I have a Wall of Kindness.

The Wall of Kindness

• definition: barrier or force that prevents mistreatment of others but also promotes service for others always without consideration for myself.

Having a wall of this sort doesn't sound so bad, right? For the most part, it is a blessing. I've gained much in my life from my wall. 

• applications: 
• The Golden Rule - I strive to do to others what I would have others do to me.
• No matter how people have treated me, I have responded with kindness.
• At my convenience or inconvenience, my kindness continues.
• The result is my living for other people. After a while, I don't know what exactly my own life is made of.

And maybe it's that last part when it becomes a problem. Maybe there could be such a thing as 'too nice' when you don't know who you are anymore. But this has never stopped me. My Wall of Kindness reigns in my life. The Wall is all I've ever known - there's a safety in it as well as a mastery. If I can continue to be kind, I win in many ways. This leads me to believe that kindness isn't all there is.

What I truly seek is balance. The Scales of Kindness sound ideal. Maybe I can be kind without it ruling my life. I will be kind and still be myself. That's my new goal.

Adventure #34: Kindness

“We are all in this together. We need each other. Oh how we need each other! Those of us who are old need you who are young, and hopefully, you who are young need some of us who are old. We need deep and satisfying and loyal friendships with each other. Those friendships are a necessary source of sustenance. ~ Majorie Hinckley

It may be cheating but, for this entry, I've chosen to reference a portion of a talk I recently gave. I apologize to those who have heard/read it already - if you skip about four paragraphs you'll find new material. Enjoy!

I personally love fruit snacks and I eat them in order of least favorite to favorite. For whatever reason, I didn’t think anyone else ate them this way. But My Friend Katie does and I’ll never forget the time I found that out. It was a bad day. I don’t remember the details of what happened; I just know it wasn’t a good day. I’d finally reached the end of the day and My Friend and I were watching shows, hiding from the world. After telling Katie all about the catastrophic day, she kindly offered me one of the fruit snacks she’d been eating.

“You can have one of my purple fruit snacks if you want. You sound like you need it,” she said.

“Thanks!” And I paused. “Purple? Is it because you don’t like those?” I asked.

“No, they’re my favorite.”

Not my worst moment but I realized that I automatically assumed that I would the least important fruit snack. So not a shining moment either. I was touched actually – she’d give me her favorite flavor when she could have given others. One should never assume they are getting the least because to the giver it could be the greatest they have. And this is something we all need to remember – whatever kindness we receive from others may be the best of what they have to give.

Which brings me to today (June 9), MFK's birthday. Throughout all the celebrating we had been doing, we'd reached a point where we were feasting on some gummy bears at a friend's house. After getting a handful of bears, Katie holds out her hands to me.

"Eat the blue ones!" she insisted. That is a command I'm unlikely to turn down. I love blue gummies.

Happily, I agreed, "Okay! I won't say no to that!"

And I proceeded to pick out the blue gummy bears.  I don't know for sure if Katie really didn't like the blue ones -or the more likely option- she gave them to me because she knows they are my favorite. Either way, the gesture was a kindness.

As a VeggieTales episode would conclude: "And so what we have learned applies to our lives today..." We've learned two things: MFK and I love gummy snacks but equally important both stories are lessons in kindness. The first shows that if we give the best we have, then the result will hopefully be accepted gratefully and will produce happiness. The second then is, we can better apply kindness when we get to know those around us. These are some things we ought to remember.

And as always, Happy Birthday Donald Duck and My Friend Katie!

(P.S. Look for next month's entry on the Wall of Kindness. See you then!)

Adventure #33: Double Stuffed Cookies Revisited

Isaiah 48:18 - "O that thou hadst hearkened to my commandments! then had thy peace been as a river, and thy righteousness as the waves of the sea;"

Nearly two years ago, I wrote a post about double stuffed cookies, Isaiah, and My Friend Katie. The full experience can be read here. However, to sum it up: we were eating E.L. Fudge double stuffed cookies and discussing my thought that I was to share in my Isaiah class. I didn't come up with anything that related to Isaiah at that time. And even though I didn't have a connection then, MFK did come up with this:

"Her object lesson boils down to one statement:

'If you want your life to be sweeter, double stuff it with spiritual pursuits.'"

Now if you'll notice the quote/scripture at the top, in my recent study of the book of Isaiah, I finally found a scripture or two to support this lesson. A lesson that has how been taught to me by two of my favorite people. As Isaiah says, if you hearken to the commandments, then you will have both peace and righteousness (and apparently plenty of water). That seems double stuffed to me (and I'm not just saying that because he mentions two things - but that is convenient!) In a life such as this, peace and righteousness sound great! Not only do they sound wonderful but are needful, purposeful pursuits. And Isaiah (and several other prophets) have given us the keys to find them.

So as Isaiah says in 62:9 - "...they that have gathered it shall eat it, and praise the Lord; and they that have brought it together shall drink it in the courts of my holiness." Whether it's E.L Fudge cookies and milk or feasting on the words of Christ and partaking of the living waters, life is sweeter when it's doubled.

Adventure #32: (Delayed) Official Stop and Smell the Roses Day - Take 2

"A friend is someone who, upon seeing another friend in immense pain, would rather be the one experiencing the pain, than to have to watch their friend suffer."

This was something I planned on posting this nearly 3 weeks ago on Official Stop and Smell the Roses Day. But that - as is apparent - did not happen. So here we are. And I've brought to here to talk about three kinds of people.

First, there are people who treat Stop and Smell the Roses Day as I explained it here. This is how I view the day and how I think it should be treated. Make life less complicated and show gratitude for what we have. The other treatments are not wrong - but to get the most out of the holiday, this is the best route.

Next, there are people who take it literally: Stop. Smell a rose or two. Move on. Done. I approve and you guys make me chuckle.

Lastly, there are those who treat it as a day to do nothing. Until this year's experience, I have argued that this is not how it works. Don't do nothing. However, when a migraine hit and I was down for the count, nothing was exactly what I wanted and exactly what happened.

For the first half of the day, I was barely conscious because when I was awake the nausea hit. So I avoided that. When I was finally aware, I texted MFK to save me from further pain by bringing me some Pepsi, for which I will always be grateful. Once she arrived, the rest of the day was spent watching Stargate.

So for the first time, I did nothing on Official Stop and Smell the Roses Day. I will never again say that doing nothing is against the rules. It was in not having things to do that gave me the opportunity to be sick without added stress. And all things considered, celebrating the day by watching Stargate with MFK was the best way.

Adventure #31: Endings

"There seems to be something inside of us that resists endings. Why is this? Because we are made of the stuff of eternity." ~Dieter F. Uchtdorf

Read the quote above.


Read it again.


Read it 3 more times.


Memorize it.


You got it? Me too. Brilliant, isn't it?

I've spent portions of my life arguing with myself...Why do you have such a problem with change? No one else seems to have such issues... I'd asked myself when I faced any good-bye, any move, or any interruption to my life. I'll admit that description makes me sound OCD but I hope I've portrayed the right idea. My mistake then is viewing all of these events as endings.

If I had been paying better attention, I could have learned the lesson of eternity stuff much sooner. When I was facing one of these aforementioned good-byes, I turned to my scriptures and found this:

"And that same sociality which exists among us here will exist among us there, only it will be coupled with eternal glory, which glory we do not now enjoy." (Doctrine and Covenants 130:2)

Even with that being exactly what I wanted to hear, I held on to the doubts that I felt. I continued to emotionally fight change. So the review this weekend during Conference then was absolutely called for. In fact, of all that I could learn in my life, this is the most important - we are made of the stuff of eternity.

And, that leaves me with one more thought: living worthy of eternity. My goal now more than ever is to make my life worth an eternal chance. Using the comfort and direction of President Uchtdorf's words, I may just have a chance. I choose to live up to my potential.

Adventure #30: Wildlife

"The first problem of living is to minimize friction with the crowds that surround you on all sides."     ~ Isaac Asimov

He lived two trees down from the busiest pond in the forest. But it didn't have to be this overrun. Apparently, the rivers, springs, and ponds nearer to the invading animals' homes were somehow not satisfactory. They just wouldn't stay home. They came from miles around - traveling for hours and waiting for twice that long in lines to get a sip from this pond.

He did not understand why this pond was so busy. What was it about this pond that attracted this crowd? If he'd known his house would regularly be overtaken, he would have given a second thought to moving in two trees down from it.

Today, just within his sight, there were three deer, a hedgehog couple, and a mountain lion. A mountain lion! What was a mountain lion doing here? She was fraternizing with her prey. How could the mountain lion look the others in the eye, knowing she'd be eating some of them within the week?

"Why are you all standing outside my front door???" he yelled. Several startled animals turned to look at him but most remained ignorant, in their own little worlds. Without a response, he turned his back, stomping inside, determined to avoid being outside at this time of day.

The next day he broke that agreement with himself. He was spending time with one of his friends. Their activities led them back to his house. On the way, not only did they encounter the hordes of animals vying for the coveted pond water but the weather chose to disagree with them. The rain was ferocious as the two friends continued to battle the fans wildlife. Facing a still new environment, rain, and crowds, the two friends finally arrived soaked and irritated after having been lost - just as his roommate was leaving to join the masses. His resolve was renewed to never face these circumstances again.

The following day another friend approached him. "Let's spend some time at the Great Tree and then enjoy some of these amazing berries I found that the bush next to the Great Tree," his friend suggested.

"But what about the crowd around the pond?" he asked.

"If we leave now, we'll be back before the concourses arrive."

Skeptically, he went with his friend anyway. Their afternoon was a pleasant one, well worth the trip. Until their return. Though not as difficult as the rain experience, it still took three times as long on the return trip because of traffic wildlife.

"Tomorrow, I stay home," he told himself, once again.

Then his sister called. "I need your help gathering some roots. Will you come help me?"

"As long as it's right now. There's a lull in the congregation of cars animals. I'll be there in five minutes."

The plan was going accordingly until one rabbit passed. Then three bear cubs. Then a herd of moose. And a flock of robins flew overhead. He began to rush the gathering process.

"Where's the fire, brother?"

"We need to beat the rush. The animals are coming."

But as they ended the errand and headed for home, they saw those same animals passing them again in the opposite direction. He began to wonder what had happened. They fought through some large groups and pushed on through lesser numbers but all were headed away from the pond. After dropping off his sister, his journey home was surprisingly smooth for the time of day.

"Where is every-" And then he saw it. The stadium pond had dried up. It was over - the animals weren't coming back. His smile grew and grew, until he realized after the winter snows came and the sun melted the flurries on the mountain, the animals would be back for the football water.