4.19.20

Rounded in Sleep

“We all are born with a certain package. We are who we are: where we were born, who we were born as, how we were raised. We’re kind of stuck inside that person, and the purpose of civilization and growth is to be able to reach out and empathize a little bit with other people. And for me, the movies are like a machine that generates empathy. It lets you understand a little bit more about different hopes, aspirations, dreams and fears. It helps us to identify with the people who are sharing this journey with us.” - - Roger Ebert, my favorite movie person of all time.

And if that is the case then I hope everyone watches Star Trek Picard, tv not film but the notion absolutely applies. It took a couple of episodes, but eventually got into its groove of old; tackling modern society’s ills in a way that makes you weep at the end as our worries are recognized, grappled with and as resolved as they possibly might be - all with the greatest compassion. The final episode is like a mini stroke of genius parsing notions about about death, immortality, ai, and, of course, Shakespeare. I will watch it again. if only Picard were the real deal. What might our current time be like with a leader who cared more about humanity than power and bank accounts; one with equal measures of bravery, compassion, intelligence and empathy? Ah, screen time...it is the land of make believe after-all.