One of my all-time favorite movies is a film by Tim Burton called Big Fish. I think it came out in 2003 and is based on a novel by the same name.
It’s a story about a salesman who spent a great deal of time on the road, and at the expense of a good life with his family. He would talk about his travels, and the tales are quite fantastic. One might think almost unbelievable.
Having never really believed them, the salesman’s grown-up son is tired of the stories and grows impatient with his ailing father- and at a time when they both really needed each other.
Without spoiling anything for those who have not seen Big Fish, one of the final scenes has the father and son together in the hospital. Dad is dying, and he asks his son to tell him how this ends. His son finally understands his dad, and all the stories, and spins a fantastic tale about escaping from the hospital, car chases, and the works.
With a smile on his face, his dad’s final words are, “Yeah, that’s exactly what happened!” and he passes away.
That scene and those that follow are really quite moving and well… you’ll just have to see it. I think you can pull those final scenes up on YouTube, but the movie is so much better!
I always come away asking, why not create your own story? I mean a great fantastic story! It’s my life. Do I really want to be a spectator and report what happened to a bunch of people who also lived boring lives, or do I want to get in there and live and create a tale that’s almost unbelievable?
By the way, the salesman wasn’t just telling tales!
We are being told the environment is dangerous. Maybe it’s time we were dangerous to the environment!
In the end, there will only be one person to hear your stories, and that’s you. Live it how you want and tell it how you want it to be! You are the author of your life. You decide how each chapter plays out. Just another day, or was it something of legend? Create it, live it, and tell it the way YOU want it told!
Be a BIG FISH and let the pond figure out how it’s going to accommodate you!!!!!
And that to me IS safety and wellness!