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Monday, May 30, 2005
Velasco: Madagascar
By Diana B. Velasco
Grain of Salt
"I realized that, even if they sometimes bring out the insanity hidden deep down within each and every one of us, it is our friends and loved ones who keep us centered and reasonable 99% of the time."
ON A lazy Friday, on my last three-day weekend before June came in, I found myself embraced by the air-conditioned comfort of an urbanites' modern version of paradise: the mall. With hours to kill before bedtime, I found myself in line for Madagascar. I thought I needed a few laughs and escape from reality. It was one of the best little acts of spontaneity that I've done in a while.
Let me tell you about Madagascar. It's an animated comedy featuring a lion, a zebra, a hippopotamus and a giraffe as the central characters; and as funny as it sounds, I was able to pick up quite a few snippets of wisdom from such a seemingly silly little film. Allow me to share some of the insights I realized.
I realized that it would be so easy to stay put in our comfort zones and never give in to that primal instinct to explore the myriad options that life affords us throughout our existence. But refusing to explore these options would be doing ourselves a great disservice. The lion was the star of the Central Park Zoo show in New York. He lived a very comfortable life, punctuated by thrice daily servings of juicy steak. He was adored by his audience, and loved by his friends. But when Alex found himself stranded on the remote and wild island we know as Madagascar, he inadvertently learned a few more things about his true nature and place in the jungle. His insights allowed him to overcome his inherent killer instincts, and he foregone his urge to devour his zebra best friend, even in the face of imminent death due to starvation.
He came out as a much better lion than he could have ever hoped, or thought, he could possibly be. How many of us could actually say the same thing for ourselves? Have we allowed ourselves to settle into a comfortable, but boring, routine just because it's safe; and never realize our true and full potential? There is a whole world out there to conquer, if we simply allow ourselves to consider it.
I realized that the smallest sparks of inspiration can lead to the biggest dreams. A random meeting with four roguish penguins touched something within the very core of our zebra, and that encounter spurred him to actually do something about his urge to run free in the wild, with fulfilling results.
I realized that, even if they sometimes bring out the insanity hidden deep down within each and every one of us, it is our friends and loved ones who keep us centered and reasonable 99% of the time. The hippo kept all the three neurotic animals within the bounds of normalcy by objectively pointing out the other characters' quirks, weirdness and mistakes without failing to show how much she cared.
Of course, when all else fails in this psychosis-inducing world, where would we be without humor? It was the giraffe that did this for me; and I have rediscovered a deep sense of respect for people who can actually laugh in the face of their toughest problems, not because they have gone insane, but because they choose to be happy, no matter what. I think it was George Burns who once advised the American public not to sweat the small stuff, because everything is just the small stuff. After being overly stressed with my myriad concerns, this realization became my lifeline in choosing to be happy; yes, even in the face of my extreme existentialist angst.
These are the things I learned from a lion, a zebra, a hippo and a giraffe. And it was a very humbling and enlightening experience. But, you will not be able to relate to this article without watching this film. So I would like to enjoin you, dear reader, to watch Madagascar. It does not have to be as profound an experience as I had. But the belly laughs the movie will generate are worth the sixty bucks you spend for an 80-minute escape. Trust me, it's worth it.
You mail email missabsinthe@yahoo.com. And Miss Velasco was not paid in any way to endorse the movie, although she wishes the producers did. She just wanted to share her thoughts with you.
For Bisaya stories from Davao. Click here. (May 30, 2005 issue)
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