I decided to treat myself to a matinee yesterday. The entire family was doing their own thing and I raced off to the 2.30 pm showing of Woody Allan's latest offering, Blue Jasmine. I loved the movie and was sorry when it ended. I'm a big Woody Allan fan, but this film is really outstanding. My response to the film has a great deal to do with the fact that Cate Blanchett is able to so realistically and convincingly portray Jasmine, a privileged woman who has a nervous breakdown when she loses everything.
The terminology 'nervous breakdown' doesn't seem to be used much these days. I remember hearing those words when I was a little girl. When someone seemed very inside themselves and not of this world, and/or when they would ramble on to themselves, oblivious to those around them, I would ask my mother what was wrong. She would explain that the person had had a 'nervous breakdown. When I was watching Blue Jasmine this terminology came back to me.
When I got home I immediately googled 'nervous breakdown' and found plenty of material but none more worthwhile than this article.
My husband has had a hard time. Readers who have been with me a while now know that. However, he is much improved; happier. Last night I sent him this link and this morning we discussed it a little, very calmly and very productively.
"I've been in the river for quite a while...", he said. (he means in the River of the Nile = denial)
"Yes. But, look how far you've come lately..."
"I've still got a way to go..."
"You're doing great."
This was a profound conversation; a massive step forward and an example of the fact that Dominant and submissive sometimes have to work together in wondrous ways; that it is not always about the Dominant teaching the submissive a better way. That sort of thought is for those not living in the real world.
I encourage you to take the time to read all '15 things'. This is the best breakdown I have ever read of what makes up a happy and calm disposition to take through life. I've made notes now and I intend to refer to them regularly.
The portrayal of a woman who closes her eyes to her husband's selfish, stealing, white collar lawless ways is one that resonates for me. Such women, I have known. Even Jasmine admits that on some level she knew that her husband wasn't so clever as to honestly make all that money. It was convenient to turn a blind eye and the living was easy. Woody Allan is so good at this; at making us look at ourselves. But, look at ourselves we must. It's never too late to learn a better way to live.
The terminology 'nervous breakdown' doesn't seem to be used much these days. I remember hearing those words when I was a little girl. When someone seemed very inside themselves and not of this world, and/or when they would ramble on to themselves, oblivious to those around them, I would ask my mother what was wrong. She would explain that the person had had a 'nervous breakdown. When I was watching Blue Jasmine this terminology came back to me.
When I got home I immediately googled 'nervous breakdown' and found plenty of material but none more worthwhile than this article.
My husband has had a hard time. Readers who have been with me a while now know that. However, he is much improved; happier. Last night I sent him this link and this morning we discussed it a little, very calmly and very productively.
"I've been in the river for quite a while...", he said. (he means in the River of the Nile = denial)
"Yes. But, look how far you've come lately..."
"I've still got a way to go..."
"You're doing great."
This was a profound conversation; a massive step forward and an example of the fact that Dominant and submissive sometimes have to work together in wondrous ways; that it is not always about the Dominant teaching the submissive a better way. That sort of thought is for those not living in the real world.
I encourage you to take the time to read all '15 things'. This is the best breakdown I have ever read of what makes up a happy and calm disposition to take through life. I've made notes now and I intend to refer to them regularly.
The portrayal of a woman who closes her eyes to her husband's selfish, stealing, white collar lawless ways is one that resonates for me. Such women, I have known. Even Jasmine admits that on some level she knew that her husband wasn't so clever as to honestly make all that money. It was convenient to turn a blind eye and the living was easy. Woody Allan is so good at this; at making us look at ourselves. But, look at ourselves we must. It's never too late to learn a better way to live.
You and I are of a similar age, and I also remember the term "nervous breakdown." I am a great believer in therapy, and I have a close friend with bipolar disorder whom I have seen off and on her meds. She definitely needs to be taking them. That all being said, these 15 things you shared are very simple things we all could do to live a more peaceful and happier life.
ReplyDeleteThank you for saying it is never too late. Because it never is. Another wonderful, helpful post.
Susan aka July Girl
Susan: I'm a big believer in making notes and when things get off track, as they tend to do, to refer back to them. It takes a long time for new habits to become ingrained. It is all common sense and yet it is so easy to live in an unhealthy way. For example, I loved his point that we are likely to take the middle ground, to be of the disposition that is half way between the positive and negative looking people in our lives. So, the more we surround ourselves with positive thinking people, the more positive thinking we will be. It takes very little to turn a life around really. It sometimes seems an impossible mountain to climb and then the next day it seems so easy. We live in our minds, so anything is possible.
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