BUSt a move!

Three weeks ago I found myself dandling with a Big Blue Bus while riding my bicycle home from work. I subsequently rebounded to snuggling with my sofa and a heating pad over fraternizing with fast-paced predators. And so, I had a lot more time to sit and think than I usually do. From the trivial to the sentimental, I give you A View From the Couch:

Night of the Twisters. You know, June 3rd. 1980. 7 tornados went through Grand Island, NE, in one night. Or maybe you don't know. To my great shock, I discovered that this is not a book that every adolescent child in America reads. In fact, it would seem that most people surveyed have not even heard of it. It was a deep and personal blow. For those of you who missed this fine piece of midwestern historical fiction in your single digits, I recommend setting aside an hour to read Ivy Ruckman's 1986 literary treasure. Or, if you prefer, you could track down the 1996 made-for-tv movie adaptation, starring Devon Sawa.

I watched more television and movies in the past 3 weeks than I have in the past 8 months. I filled in the gaps of "Arrested Development", started on "Psych", and watched "Lean on Me" not once, but twice (I had to stop at 2 viewings because it kept bothering me that they used a motivational poster spelling "cannot" as two words). My two favorite flicks (an oldie and a newbie) were "Everything is Illuminated" and "Across the Universe".

First: Any film that can deal with reconstructing the past, the Holocaust, and still manage to have a grandfather who pretends blindness and totes around an "officious seeing eye bitch" deserves a chance. But this movie more than manages - it brings a fresh view and tone to material that has been discussed time and again. Second: It's probably too soon for me to objectively discuss this film. But wow. My dad said "The Graduate" captured his feelings about the world around him when he first saw it. It blew him away. Years later, watching it again, he thought it was a great film, but didn't find it nearly as salient. In a spectacularly messy way, "Across the Universe" played out my jumbled life thoughts to the tunes of the Beatles.

Most of all, A View From the Couch brought it to my attention that I have really amazing friends. (Cue bashful tears). I recognize that the frustration and discomfort I have felt in the past few weeks was pretty minimal in the scheme of things. And nobody's role inherently required them to adjust their routines for me. So to find myself surrounded by people willing to slow their pace for me, laugh about my awkward recovery, and pretend not to see my unsightly gashes...it just kinda floored me.