Is It Hard To Be Brave?
I watched the second season (and maybe series) finale of Enlightened. Not a big TV viewer but this HBO series feels different on every level. Deep, thoughtful writing that leaves the viewer enlightened after watching it. A call to wake up and be an agent of change like main character Amy Jellicoe. So few answer the call to be brave when it presents itself.
From the first episode, it spoke to the part of me that likes to stand up and ask, “What’s going on here?” knowing that I/you may upset people who do not want to upset the status quo apple cart.
The characters are real, rich and complex – you love and don’t love them at the same time, especially Amy who does at least one cringe-worthy act a week. Yet, when each one started to stand up for his or herself I found myself more on the love than don’t love side. For example, I didn’t find Amy’s boss Dougie attractive at all until the last two shows when he joined Amy to do the right thing and turn the sleazy company President Szidon of Abaddon into the press. Then boom, I’m thinking, “When did Dougie get that sexy?” It happened when he stood up for something that mattered to him, when he exhibited his brave “I don’t give a crap what they do to me” side.
Like most everyone who stands up for something bigger than themselves, Amy started to doubt her own actions and motivations. Friends and family who found out about it kept asking her why she did it, telling her she did the wrong thing. She questions her own decisions in a voice-over, “Am I the fool? the goat? the witch? Or am I Enlightened?”
Before the Los Angeles Times article comes out, Amy sits with her ex-husband Levi on the stoop and asks,
Amy: Levi, Who am I?
Levi: Who are you?
Amy: Am I crazy?
Levi: No, you’re just full of hope. You have more hope than most people do. It’s a beautiful thing to have a little hope for the world, you know?
People often pooh-pooh hope, but without it what do we have?
I continue to question why we raise the next generation to lose their sense of hope. (And I don’t mean the hope of making tons of money. I mean the hope of leading a life that matters to that person.) It doesn’t make any sense.
Have you struggled with being brave or embraced it with little regard to the outcome? I’d love to hear about it below.
Thanks! G.
RSS
I don’t really consider it being brave to do the right thing, it’s just something that I try hard to do every day. When I tell people that I am a Rotarian and that we believe in the Four Way Test and doing good in the world, they are usually interested in hearing more about what we do.
I am also at the age where I don’t really care about negative things that people may have to say, I’ll just do what is right and move on.
Hi Lou,
Great attitude! I still think you are brave though for doing the right thing and not concerning yourself with the negative comments. People are asked to do the wrong things all the time, feeling like they have to choose between their jobs and their values as one example. Or other choices. I love the example you set for others…
Thanks for piping in!
G.
Hi – I love that show “Enlightened”. Amy’s character is fascinating, such god intent all warped in her own fears and assumptions. Amazing.
ANd being brave, standing up for what is right is often lonely, I think. I have done my share of crusading 🙂
Peace and love’
Gail
Hi Gail,
I could talk for hours about Enlightened. Glad you also watch it. For example what happened with Krista last week and the assumption she had spilled the beans made me want to turn away. That’s what makes Amy such a remarkable character, she embodies all sorts of conflicts. She acts on things and sometimes she gets it wrong. But she acts and that’s what sets her apart.
Here’s to crusading! It’s important to help steer the ship we are on … Glad to be in your company.
Appreciate you leaving your fine words.
G.
Hi Giulietta! Haven’t been here for awhile, but its great to come back and read your blog. I have not seen this show but now I really want to check it out. I do think it is hard to stand up to do the right thing, even calling someone on derogatory comments can set one’s heart to pounding. Though afterwards you feel so good about it. I love that the character in the show became totally sexy to you once you saw him being brave!
Hi Charlotte,
Wonderful to see you here. Yes, the pounding heart when you first start standing up for the right thing. I know it well! It fascinates me that we humans can get so scared speaking our truth. I will check out your post on getting published! Thanks for your comment.
G.
For me, I think it fluctuates. Over the last week or so I’ve been working pretty much nonstop on the “money” aspect of my career, as opposed to the creative one, and sometimes I think I hurl myself into the “money” activities because it’s easier than creating. However, in the moments when I realize that’s what I’m doing, the pendulum starts to swing back toward the creative side, so that’s where I think I’m headed again. 🙂
Hi Chris,
You’re on to something with the money activities being easier than creating. Brilliant observation. A lot of workaholics have always appeared to be hiding from their own lives to me. Way easier to do that than carve out a life and do something cool like you’ve been doing.
I believe someday soon we’ll wake up this “has-been” economy and transform it so the folks doing a lot of the creating can earn a healthy income without thinking about it to much.
Your blog title sounds really intriguing … I will check it out.
G.