Can anyone tell me....

My last blog post was about how Romeo and Juliet was a story of humanity, this post is about fate. How fate is a big subject in the movie, a bigger subject in the real life filming and an even bigger subject in the book.

I, like many, saw the movie before I read the play. I never thought that fate was a huge part of the story, in fact I never thought about fate at all. It's probably because I could never understand the scene right before Mercutio and Romeo go to the party, where they discuss their dreams and their premonitions. It doesn't seem like fate that Romeo and Juliet meet. It seems like a coincidence. Which brings up the question, what is a coincidence and what is fate?

During the filming of the movie, there were some coincidences as well. "The dramatic storm scene on the beach in which Mercutio dies was shot during a real hurricane." I feel like having a real storm made me think was fate in control of how the movie was shot? Was fate in control when Aldo Signoretti (hair/makeup guru on the set of R+J) was kidnapped and released after paying the $300 ransom? Is fate the decider of good things as well as the bad things?

The Romeo and Juliet text has more coincedences that cause the Montague boys to get to the party. For example, the person responsible for sending out the invitations cannot read, forcing him to ask Romeo to read it to him. So now Romeo knows of the gathering and has access to attending it. But in the movie, they just somehow get invitations and crash the party. I would see the subject of fate in the movie more if there were more coincidences like the one in the text(For example, the person responsible for sending out the invitations cannot read, forcing him to ask Romeo to read it to him.). But still confused with the exact meaning of the word 'FATE', I did some follow up research/thoughts:

Merriam-Webster- "an inevitable and often adverse outcome, condition, or end"

I thought of one of my favorite movies, Terminator 2: Judgment Day. John Connor says "The future's not set. There's no fate but what we make for ourselves." Do you believe John or do you believe Merriam-Webster?
(Pardon my geek out- referencing a sci-fi movie and a dictionary in one question...)

When Should We Stop Watching, And Start Living?

I know this is sinful, but I haven't read at all this week! The largeness of Youth In Revolt by C.D.Payne intimidates me, and causes me to run away from the book instead of reading it. But this weekend I was thinking about it while my family and I were driving to see my cousins. I have come up with a question; When Should We Stop Watching, And Start Living? My question breaks down into these other questions: How does one view and interact with the world? What is considered 'living'?

I come from a family of watchers. My mom is a photographer and has a certain view of the world and shes not afraid to express how much she likes or dislikes something. She often shows me what a great photograph would look like, and describes why. I have odd memories of my mom and I moving slowing into the shadow covered park, taking in each and every small blade of grass and making it a pretend photograph and framing it in between our fingers. I still do that now, except I do it in my head. I look at the world through a specific lens; one that automatically creates a story, composition, contrast, and beauty in the world around me. This does not nessicarily make me a "good" artist, instead an avid viewer of this world. This also causes me to think too much, and psychoanalyze things. If I am brought up with an opportunity, I am likely to think too much, and then the moment passes when I have reached a decision.

Nick Twisp, the narrator of the story, is also a watcher. He never really speaks back, or does anything daring, or hangs out with new people. But when he meets Sheeni, he suddenly changes. She dares Nick to be "bad", and start living. But what is considered living? I would say doing what you love. So if he doesn't enjoy being bad, why should he? Why should we change for someone else? Should we stop being ourselves, and become the person our significant other wants us to be? I believe not. We are who we are, and I'm not sure if Nick Twisp is doing the right thing. If someone doesn't like you for who you are, you shouldn't change.

What if watching is your form of living, like me and Nick?

Then I would say keep watching.