Reality Check

The documentary “What About Me” was an amazing expression of the combination of cultures and the incredible outcome that can occur when they are intertwined. It was very fascinating to see and hear the different types of music from various countries and they made such beautiful songs when they were put together. The man that put on the event spoke about storytelling and it struck me that the movie was like a bunch of tiny little stories that made up one great adventure. Everyone had a varying perspective and it seemed like, when combined, they created a whole picture- a unique worldview. The movie touched on love and needs, the relationship between women and men (definitely my favorite), and death. I feel like it made a circle: started with life and joy, covered relationships, and ended with death. It was the circle of life within a documentary.

I was really inspired by the movie to go out and try to discover other ways of life and ways of looking at life. One scene that made me laugh was a conversation with two old women on the side of the road. They were dressed in colorful skirts and wraps, discussing television in a sarcastic way. They probably live in a community without television and, even thought they don’t have one, they know that life is still going to be fine without one. I thought about a conversation I had recently where I complained that I could not live without a cell phone. Watching the movie I thought, “Really? Did I really say I would die without a cell phone?” Things, stuff, material possessions. They have become such a part of our lives and it is good to be reminded every once in a while that the world will continue spinning even without all of our “necessities.” This documentary allowed me to step back from my own life and look through windows that I normally, to be honest, avoid. It was a good reality check.