Animals in Space 2

This is the set my nephew and I constructed for the film "Animals in Space 2."  We made the original Animals in Space this summer.  Benjamin, who is 6 years old, so enjoyed making the first movie that before we had aired it he began planning the sequel.  We filmed Acts 1, 2 and 3 six weeks ago.  Days after doing that, Ben called local family and friends to announce that the premier of Animals in Space 2 will be Sunday March 9th at 2:40 pm.

These are exciting times!

Relating with Others

Animals in Space is 20 minutes long; this seemed excessive for those of us kind enough to watch it.  However, for months Ben wanted the sequel to be even longer.  He thought that if we made the sequel 30 minutes, it would capture the attention of millions and we might even get famous. 

Me:  Ben, if we made a movie about watching the grass grow, would it be better if it was longer?

Ben:  Nooooo.

He didn't mention time today and neither did I.  We have 5/6 scenes filmed and it's only 8 minutes long.  It's possible we may cap this movie at 12 minutes!

In addition to shortening the film, my mom suggested that Animals in Space 2 will be more interesting to watch if family members are included as characters. Agreed.

(The above family puppets are made from photographs, file folders and straws.)  

I've been thinking a lot about my mom's suggestion.  I am like my nephew in that we are both independent and have vivid imaginations.  It's easy for me to make movies with him because, as you all know, I do the same thing! 

Seeing Ourselves 

We sat on the couch for half an hour tonight.  On his end, with markers and paper, he made up a computer game with 10 levels.  Every so often he'd engage me with something like, "Auntie Anna, level 4 is going to be called Galaxy Busters.  You can get there at 172 points."  On the other end of the couch, I read Divergent by Veronica Roth:

For most people, it's not hard to learn, to find a pattern of thought that works and stay that way... But our minds move in a dozen different directions and can't be confined to one way of thinking and that terrifies our leaders.  It means we can't be controlled.  And it means that no matter what they do, we will always cause trouble for them.

I can barely contain my excitement when I read this because it so closely parallels this quote by Krishnamurti:

Society does not want individuals who are alert, keen, revolutionary, because such individuals will not fit into the established social pattern and they may break it up.  That is why society seeks to hold your mind in its pattern, and why your so-called education encourages you to imitate, to follow, to conform.

Ben is on one end of the couch entertaining himself by making up video games and I'm on the other end entertaining myself by noticing the connections between young adult dystopian fiction and the teachings of world leaders.  

I'm not going to say any more about those connections because I imagine that most of you do not share my interest in dystopian young adult fiction.  And, I am much more interested in connecting with you than I am interested in a diatribe about socialization and freedom.  

Love Like That is a communication structure to support each of us moving from wherever we are to the next place with less resistance, aggression and strain.  No matter where we are and where we are going, we each want more freedom, more happiness, more love.   

The access to that freedom, happiness and love is remembering who you are - the loving awareness of all that is.  Don't believe me, try it out for yourself!