Wild Hogs and Romance versus Reality

I had a tense and stressful week last week and needed some relief - comic relief. So Bill and I went to go see Wild Hogs, the middle-age-dudes-go-on-a-motorcycle-adventure movie starring John Travolta, William Macy, Martin Lawrence and Tim Allen. I went in with basic expectations - I knew this would not be an Academy Award winner, that it would likely be a bit formulaic, and predictable. But I hoped it would be fun and funny - I needed that.

The movie is very funny and we loved it. A special cameo near the end is precious. A big bonus is that much of the movie takes place in my favorite place, New Mexico (even many of the shots prior to them getting to New Mexico were from New Mexico - that bridge is the Rio Grande Gorge bridge and that Valley is Valle Grande).

Upon exiting the theater, Bill asked me if I got any ideas for my upcoming motorcycle adventure. Sure, I picked up a few do's and more than this number of don'ts.

But mostly, I was charmed by the notion of romance versus reality and how that plays into generating breakthroughs.

Throughout the movie, things don't go exactly as planned. People aren't quite who they appear - or try to appear, and stuff breaks. Courage comes from cowardice. Cowardice comes when the shock of being courageous sets in.

I like this aspect of the movie because it relates very well to how we generate breakthroughs. We all have notions about how things will be or ought to be. We don't act until all our planets have aligned, we have a certain amount of money, we feel comfortable, or we have reached the right weight.

But even then, things will not go as planned.

So as the Wild Hogs bumbled through their midlife crisis adventure, they were wonderful. Goofy, sure. Tragic - sometimes. Putting on a show, certainly.They were all these things and they moved forward. They put themselves - as awkward as that may have looked and felt - out there and made things happen. They got on the road and drove.

As we think about the direction we want our lives to go, one thing is sure. If we don't get on the road toward this life and drive, we are certain to never reach it. When we drive forward, we might get bugs between our teeth and be surprised by a few speed bumps and sink holes.

No worries, it's all part of the inelegant and yet very elegant journey of progress. Put on your helmet and let's ride.

Comments

[Aditi]

I agree..Wild hogs is quite hilarious.
Read my complete opinion on www.aditiworld.blogspot.com

[Lisa Haneberg]

Thanks for the link Aditi!