The Movie of Your Life

A few weeks ago I had one of those consciousness-shifting moments that come along all too rarely. I was doing the dishes, which I like doing by hand even though we have a dishwasher. Warm water and bubbles - what's not to like? So anyway, I was looking down at my hands, covered in suds, washing a plate when I was struck with the idea that if my eye were a camera that could record what I saw, then I would be the director of the film of my life. I looked again at the dishes in the sink. I saw the composition of the shot. I thought of how it could be better, more beautiful. Rearranging things, I made the sink a work of art and then mentally called, "Action!" I moved intentionally, gracefully, beautifully, my hands now dancing on the screen in my head. I considered each glass, plate or fork and how best to convey the essence of what it was. Everything became a prop and the sink became a theater.

It was then that I came to appreciate Ikebana. Bear with me. As a young teen, my family was host to two Japanese exchange students. There was a reception for the group and they performed some traditional music and Ikebana, the art of flower arranging. And I thought, "What?" How do "art" and "flower arranging" even appear in the same sentence? I watched as a diminutive girl dressed in a kimono stuck some flowers in a vase. At least that's how I saw it at the time. And then we clapped. Sure, they said something about the symbolism of heaven and earth and blah,blah,blah ... I was just a dumb kid. I didn't see how this was art.

And then, back at the sink, I saw that I was still only washing dishes, but now I was doing it with intention. Every fiber of my being was invested in making a beautiful experience. The way I moved my hands, the way I held the dishes, the way I used the sponge - it was all intentional. And because of the intention, it became beautiful - I was almost moved to tears.

So flower arranging was art because of intention. Every fiber of the arranger's being was similarly invested in making beauty. I so want to experience Ikebana anew. It is more than just a functional art - it is theater.

And then the dishwashing was through. But the concept broadened and I thought to myself, "What a beautiful way to go through life - seeing as if looking through a movie camera. In every moment you can register your intention. Be aware of the way your shot is composed, the other actors, the dialogue, the scenery, the music, even the lighting. You have control over the film of your life. You can make it look however you want it, as long as every moment is intentional.