Raise your hands if some piece of art, be it film, poem, song, documentary, painting, or hell, even an interpretive dance, ever made you stop, gasp silently to yourself, and think “Damn.” Hopefully almost all of you have your hands up, if not, I have failed you in so many ways it’s silly. Nevertheless, three little pieces of art did precisely that to me over the last year, all in different ways, but all oddly aimed in the almost exact same direction.
I finally got around to watching the unbelievably thorough documentary “The Beatles: Get Back” and while I’ve never been the biggest Beatles fan in all the land, I was blown away by the peek behind the curtain that was afforded. As someone who creates on a daily basis and has answered about six hundred dozen questions about my own creative process, it was really unique and beautiful to watch people, at the top of their game, doing exactly that…create. The whole theory I’ve long held about being a conduit, not a conductor, seemed to be on full display, as some of the songs just seemed to pass through them, to be channeled out as though they had nothing at all to do but translate the words and melodies from the universe itself.
One thing, however, stuck with me more than any other thing when I watched the final scenes, one truth louder than all the rest when I watched the rooftop concert that closed out the film:
We never, ever, ever, know when the thing we’re doing will be the last time we do it. We never remember, that every single moment could be our last.
After that rooftop show, the Beatles never again performed together in public. Tomorrow, exactly tomorrow, it will have been 54 years ago to the day they performed that show, the last show, and it broke my heart after watching the entire documentary, to realize that all that time they spent in the studios creating, they had no idea they’d never do it again. Biggest band of all time, and they never saw the end coming, not really. Maybe I’m sappy, maybe I’m over-emotional, but something about this undid me, and broke my heart into pieces. All that, and as I said, I was never even a huge Beatles fan.
It’s the implications, to me, it’s the repercussions of the endings in our life that we don’t see coming, that rattled me.
Fast forward to just a few weeks ago, and another two films shook the bones of me, and when bones shake, tears fall. Lady G and I finally got around to watching “Everything Everywhere All At Once,” and “The Banshees of Inisherin,” and I can make this statement without hyperbole: They just may be the best movies I’ve ever seen in my life. Yes, honestly.
I won’t spoil the films for anyone, as I absolutely implore that you all go watch them if you’ve not seen them yet, but what I will speak to is the effect on me those movies had that felt like a continuation of the emotional spiral after I watched the Beatles flick. Basically they were these:
We must cherish every single moment in these crazy, silly, beautiful, painful, haunting, hilarious, sorrow-soaked-joy-stained-nonsensical-farces we call life.
We never know the last time we’ll work with someone, hug them, see the colors of their soul. We never know when tomorrow ain’t coming, and when today will be the last of days. All we can do, is do our best, and hope that when the end does come, we don’t meet it with a heart swollen and bursting with regrets or un-said words, love not given away, kindness not granted for no other reason than that’s what kindness is for.
Which is exactly where Banshees hit home the hardest. There’s a scene in the pub where Colin Farrell’s character has a monologue that is so fantastically and heartbreakingly beautiful I can’t even type about it without tearing up. It’s about that kindness, and it’s about how it’s a wonderful thing to be a kind person, simple as that sounds. The film unnerved me, it has stuck with me, and it’s not going anywhere soon.
The cumulative effect of all three of these films was profound, and they all spoke the same message. Life is short, time is fleeting, and we never know when we’re out of time. We cannot control anything, save that we can truly cherish every moment we’ve given, and we can be the kindest versions of ourselves as we possibly can, as long as we possibly are able. There is nothing more.
Life is a billion tiny details, and we’re here to notice and adore them all. What would happen if we all understood this, let it sink into the center of ourselves, and started acting that way?
What indeed.
Cherish these moments
breathe deep each tiny detail,
they may be the last.
Lately, I've been listening to "The Last Time" by Tenille Townes, and it gets me emotional every time, for the same reason.... We just truly do not ever know when our last moments of anything will be. It can be beautiful, it can be bittersweet, it can be gutting and heart wrenching. But we Just. Never. Know. And it's so easy to get lost in the grind, to be the hamster on the wheel, to say "I'll make time for joy tomorrow." But we need to make time for joy right now!! And I agree that kindness must guide us in all that we do. We cannot fix our world, our earth, our society, ourselves unless we can all be kind to one another.
Ooh, I will have to listen. You're so right though, we just never know. Kindness is all.
I listen!! Haha love everything about this Sunday Edition. And funnily it's been on my mind a bit too. I watched the movie Blue Jay last night on Netflix and it had a similar vibe of do I take this chance to reconnect? They could've walked away but they didn't, because what if this chance never happened again? It was beautiful movie.
You're so amazing, thank you for being here, truly. I've not seen Blue Jay! I'll watch.
I just watched "Banshees" this past week and I agree, best movie ever! It especially hit home for me because my BFF of 10 years just stopped talking to me, and having anything to do with me for no reason, and I still have no answers 7 years later. No "rows" as Colin Farrells' character says. But as far as I know she still has all her fingers. 😉 Kindness, our world needs more of it. 💗
What a huge f'ing loss for your bff. Their loss is our gain. Thank goodness you're here.
Beautiful haiku. I should read this every day before I start my day to remind me of how to appreciate the moments. And, I so look forward to your crazy intros!
That's such a relief, I always feel like a trainwreck haha.
I ironically watched both of these films this weekend - it is my tradition every year to watch all of the Academy Award nominated films before Oscar night. I loved how both of them offered such beautiful reminders. I love your weekly podcast Tyler - always so exactly right what I need to hear. I suspect it’s the same for everyone. Thank you!
Thank you so much for these kind words. You mean so much.
Dear friends, and fellow chasers: Life is so beautiful. 🔆💜 And this post is incredibly amazing.
So incredibly THANKFUL for each day I have! Of course we all have trials, bad days, but the good is just around the corner.
Have hope in that.
xx
🤍🤍
https://abc3340.com/archive/town-gives-injured-cheerleader-a-homecoming
I am so glad you are doing okay, Taylor! 🖤
Thank you so much.
-💜
You're amazing.
😭 Thank you.
💜
OMG I just watched "Everything Everywhere All at Once" last week and it BLEW MY FREAKING MIND. Definitely one of the best movies I've ever seen. I'm still thinking about it and can't wait to watch it again and soak up even more of its greatness.
ABSOLUTELY blew my mind. I love it so much. SO Much.
Thank you Tyler, that means more than you know. 💗
Beautiful…..
Okay, FECKKK. I think Banshees just broke me a little. I’m speechless.