Little Man and I went to see the new ‘Beyonce’ version of The Lion King today. The movie is a classic.
I graduated from college the year the original was released. I learned every word to every song while it played in the background of each child I babysat that summer. I’d watched it probably 200 times that summer and I cried EVERY. SINGLE. TIME that Mufasa died.
Today was not different.
It was an early morning showing fundraiser for a cool organization called Touching Young Lives. https://touchingyounglives.com/ so I was feeling good about being able to see the movie and do some good at the same time.
Sadly the theater was pretty empty, although it began to gain popularity just after the movie began. YOU”RE LATE FOLKS.
Nonetheless, we armed ourselves with popcorn and sugar and sat near the back on the right side. Luckily there were no others within ear shot of my veritable sobs throughout the film.
The opening of the movie….the scenes of Africa, the animals running in their native land and the music gave me and lil man chills. Mid way through he leaned to me and said ‘this is the best movie I’ve ever seen’.
Agreed son.
All the feels….
This film is raw emotion at the most basic level. The circle of life, the power and emotion of life through the joys of birth, the grief of death, the struggle for power, the battle of good and evil. It is RAW. I felt every bit of it. Was it the lack of serotonin I am currently experiencing or just me allowing myself to FEEL?
That’s what this is really about. Feeling. Why are we so conflicted about feeling? My son has powerful feelers. He loves music and drama and MUSICALS. He likes to dance and sing (though sadly he is tone deaf and daughter and I can’t bare to tell him yet) and yet he holds back often.
WHY? Because society does not want us to FEEL!
Don’t SHOW your feelings people!!!
Wait, WHAT? Don’t show my feelings?
No. Others don’t like to hear or watch you assert your feelings upon them. Keep it to yourself.
No one wants to see another person crying. It makes THEM feel uncomfortable. We’re all guilty.
Stop telling our boys not to cry. Let the tears flow, feel the feels and be vulnerable and open. Let life flow with emotion.
Amen to that.
