There have been plenty of television shows and movies depicting life in high school and various of stages of life. The Wonder
Years, Sixteen Candles, Napolean Dynamite, and Teen Wolf were just a few movies that spoke of the pressures and struggles of growing up. The reason why these shows were so successful was our ability to relate to them. As we watch Kevin treat Paul badly we relate because we have done something similar ourselves.
I made a lot of mistakes growing up. I remember saying things that in hindsight, were just plain stupid. It was all I knew at the time. I cannot say that I have gotten much better, but as I look back there are things I wish I could yell, "CUT!" and reshoot. My family moved around a good bit when I was a kid. Moving around often meant leaving relationships without resolution in some cases. I left some really good friends without any way to keep up with them.
Enter Facebook. I have been able to reconnect with friends long since lost. I was able to apologize for hurting someone years ago. I'm not saying writing on someone's wall is the best way to reconcile a relationship, but I do believe that reconciliation is very important. When you have no connection, facebook creates a worldwide directory for finding friends, sharing messages, and photos.
The movie we make consists of both the triumphs and the pitfalls. We aren't going to go through life without hurting people or making mistakes that we regret, that is a part of growing. We CAN choose what the focus of our movie is going to be. Is it going to be about getting all we can for ourselves or living for something greater than ourselves. My favorite movies are the ones where the star discovers that they are caught up in a grander story. When we fall, when our movie bombs and we hurt people, there is always facebook or whatever gives you the ability to say "I'm sorry."
