Fall is here, which brings to mind cozy nights, cuddled under blankets watching favorite movies.Peeking out from behind soft pillows as your greatest fears dance across large screens.. Outdoor bonfires with scents that cling to you days after the embers have died. Warm drinks with hints of spice. Hardy meals waiting in crockpots while football commands everyone’s attention. Small town rivalries. Homecoming celebrations. Witches and ghosts. Costumed kids running on sugar highs. Nature paints herself in beautiful colors. Autumn is idyllic.
Dead Poets Society is a perfect fall movie. Students returning to school find inspiration and someone who believes in them. Starring Robin Williams, who was to me, one of the most influential people of all time. He is one of my heros, a short list. “O Captain, my Captain. Who knows where that comes from? Anybody? Not a clue? It’s from a poem by Walt Whitman about Mr. Abraham Lincoln. Now in this class you can either call me Mr. Keating, or if you’re slightly more daring, O Captain my Captain.” Would you have been slightly more daring? Would you have stood with the rebelious, the brave and the bold and saluted John Keating, a teacher who encouraged students to find their own unique voice and share it with the world? Or would you have been one of the mice, that sat still, refusing to acknowledge his greatness out of fear of damaging their reputation or repurcussions? I would stand.
The movie inspires me every time I watch it. I don’t think that I could ever be as inspirational as the poets they studied and of course never as inspiring as Mr. Keating himself. But I am trying to fall in love with writing again. I haven’t lost the love , but maybe my spark. My point is write your story, write your poem, find your words. There is someone out there who not only wants to hear them, but needs to. Someone who thought they were alone will see themselves reflected in what you write. Someone will find comfort, inspiration or just an escape.
John Keating: No matter what anybody tells you, words and ideas can change the world.
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