She’s the One

Edward Burns is one of those actors that seems like a really cool guy to just hang out with. You know…….the down-to-earth, not a whole lotta ego kinda guys.   I was reminded of that when I caught one of my favorite movies on HBO the other night.  The movie is “She’s the One“, and it was written, directed and stars Ed Burns.  If you havent seen it, I suggest you put it on your list.

The first time I saw the movie, I fell in love with it primarily because of Cameron Diaz.  She did a great job, and it was before she got uber-skinny for the Charlie’s Angels flicks.   The next time I saw it, I was in a different place in my life.  I liked it less because the happy ending was not in agreement with my perspective on life at the time, and I had trouble reconciling the story on screen with the story in my heart.

So fast forward a couple of years to where I am today.  I watched the movie having a completely different perspective on life, love and the concept of fate.  I watched it from the point of view of someone whos lived, loved, lost and let go.  I watched it with the eyes of a person who can see more clearly and think more positively.  I watched the movie with a greater sense of acceptance that life truly is what happens between making plans.

And the timing of the movie coincided nicely with a bit of an emotional hiccup in my life.  As fate would have it, I was thrown a bit of a curveball with a phone call from the past.  The old me would have probably struck out looking, never even taking the proverbial bat off my shoulder.  It would have been another long, disappointing walk back to the dugout as yet another upside-down ‘K’ was hung from the outfield wall.

But I’m not the old me.  I’m not the same guy who once spent too much time looking for comfort in all the wrong places.  I am not the same Gil who focused more on someone elses well being than my own.  This is the new me.  The new and improved me.  Rather than let that curveball cross the plate, I swung away.  I fought off every offering that came at me.  Foul ball after foul ball, I faced the full count with a determination I never felt before.  And then, almost as if without me noticing, I hit the ball straight and true.  I am not going to say I hit it out of the park, but it was enough to make the opposing manager make a call to the bullpen.

The important thing is I survived.  Not just the at-bat, but also the experiences that lead up to that moment.  The history and trials that led to that phone call.  I wasnt scared anymore, and I smiled all the way to first base.

“Shes the One” ………..or so I thought.

Now, I look at life a bit differently.  I know that it’s less about words like soulmates and destiny, and more about things like choices and will.  Its about believing in yourself and loving the people who believe in you.  It’s about accepting that its not about your plan, its really about HIS plan.  For me, its about remembering that although I can’t control what goes on around me, I can control how I choose to react to it.

…..and I will always have my batting gloves on going forward!