What if Life Had Sub-Titles

I have been watching more foreign movies on Netflix recently. Last night, as I lay there, I realized that I understood some of, most of what they were saying. I could get the gist of the film by watching the action, and catching some of the dialogue. I would glance at the sub-titles and fill in what I didn’t catch. At the beginning of the film, I would keep a keen eye on the sub-titles, to familiarize myself with the language again, and by the end, I could understand most.

At the point in the film, where I had transitioned from reading most to understanding most, I thought, “What if life had sub-titles?”

I have been pondering that since. It could be so easy, if when we are sarcastic, a little sign flashed on our fore-head, “Joke-Joke-Joke.” People might still be slightly offended, since there always is a truth underlying sarcasm, and still, they might laugh with the perpetrator, or orator.

When arguing with your significant other, wouldn’t it be nice to have this tool to let them know that whatever hurtful words come out of your mouth that the dialogue really is “I love you very much. I am very hurt and confused. I cannot express myself with love because I never learned how. I just want to be heard.” I know this might have saved several relationships that I have experienced.

Or, when speaking to your boss, instead of saying “Take this job and shove it;” your thoughts are translated as, “I enjoy working here; I have some problems with some of the policies and communications.”

Perhaps, that will be the glory of telepathy. The words that escape our mouths will be translated directly into the other’s mind as the loving expressions that sing from our hearts. 

Accept

Accept

The world spins like the hands on a clock, always tuning. Days turn into months; months turn into years; years turn into centuries, and so on. The lives of those on this planet play out in a similar manner, as we go round and round, through the stages of being, passing landmarks and opportunities.

If you don’t learn a lesson on the first time it passes, you will have another chance, just wait. The next opportunity is just a moment away. We can carry repeating opportunities with us in our memories. If you keep the lesson present, then the choices to learn continue to repeat in a moment to moment basis. We each know and recognize those lessons, the ones that we believe – if I change this, I will be happier.

Is the lesson instead, to learn to accept that certain choices are who you are, and accept that the lesson is learned, and yet – continue the behaviour? Perhaps that is why these choices grate on us so repeatedly; the lesson is not to change, but to accept. And is that lesson any easier?

Good question. Do I choose to pursue those questions now? Do I choose to pursue change vs acceptance now? Would that be an easier exploration? Yes. Maybe the choice is to accept that change is innate, that change is constant and that acceptance allows the changes to occur naturally, as our days turn into months. We cannot force the hands of the clock to move any faster, we cannot move the sun across the sky any faster. Why would we want to? We cannot change ourselves any faster either. We must take each step along the path to get to our destination.