If You Do Nothing All Day, How Do You Know When You’re Done?
I’d go to bed after this part of his show - it was all downhill from there
My pals and I used to have Top 10 lists of our favorite movies. The deal was that if someone else’s Top 10 list had a film on it that you’d never viewed, you were obligated to watch it and share your opinion. This made for many great conversations, debates, and a lot of fun picking on each other about ridiculous selections. Some movies were forbidden from lists, like The Godfather and other movies that we called “Cult.” This is because, all too often, the Top 10 lists were far too similar. Pulp Fiction, Shawshank Redemption, Fight Club, and others were out.
These lists led to my catching up with Things to Do in Denver When You’re Dead, which was very close to bumping one of my Top 10’s out. I would have never known of it without Louie Larratta having it on his list. We had to acknowledge that our lists would change as we learned, grew, and added new movies we’d seen. So be advised, should you and your crew take on such a Top 10 endeavor. Also, remember that a person’s Top 10 can give you a tiny insight into their souls. Okay, that is a stretch. But be mindful of the person with a Top 10 that consists of Friday the 13th, Saw, Halloween, Exorcist, and all that genre.
Number five all-time for me was Vision Quest with Matthew Modine. Yes, the backdrop of this was a wrestler struggling to make weight to take on his nemesis in the final scene. It was a 1985 movie with a 1985 song – Crazy for You, by Madonna – who does a little cameo in this one. Crazy for You is a Top 10 love song in my book. The reason that Vision Quest is so great is the premise that a kid who eats, drinks, and sleeps wrestling could achieve his goal. The character in the movie is Lauden Swain. When he has to go somewhere, he runs. While he is driving, he is squeezing one of those grip-strength thingamajigs.
Let me ask you – how much time did you spend today scrolling, swiping, or watching old–fashioned TV? Are you one of those people at the gym who is on your phone in between sets, or are you one of those people at the gym who does another set in between sets? I’ve increased my caloric burn by skipping rope in between exercises. The phone is only there to provide me with the musical motivation to keep up the pace. Only the Young by Journey is a great song to work out to. It is on the Vision Quest album…just sayin.
Makes you want to run fast
When the sequel comes out, Matt Modine (now 64 years old) will play the coach. Coach Swain’s focus for his team will be on how they use their time. We can all use this – particularly when we remind ourselves that our lives are comprised of the same 24 hours a day that every great person in history had – including Benjamin Franklin, Michael Jordan, and Michaelangelo. They had skills, no doubt – but they also needed that vision. In Vision Quest, the coach asks Lauden, “Did you do what you came here to do?” Lauden says, “Not yet.” “Well then, get out there and do it, boy!” replies the coach.
Wisdom from Mr. Modine
There was a point where I could not even fathom this train of thought that I have – and where I’d have absolutely no motivation to write as much as I do. But here I am, nearly 600 words in. I am thinking about the vision for the next few years…for me and my son. Just a couple of weeks ago, I signed a three-year contract with my school district to stay and do a big job that needs to be done between now and 2027. I’m eating, drinking, and sleeping, a mission that has increased in clarity with each passing day over the past year. I can see great things for the district I am in. I can see amazing things for my son. I have other things to do, too. I am not wasting an hour in a day – now putting every minute into the stuff I’ve hoped and dreamed about for years.
As youngsters, we had our distractions in the Atari and MTV. And our kids have theirs in TikTok, Xbox, and handheld supercomputers. So what do we gotta do as parents to get them charged up, set a goal, and accomplish it? Set another one, and then achieve that one? Instilling a sense of purpose in our children and students requires more than just setting boundaries around their screen time or lecturing them about the dangers of digital distraction. It involves engaging with their interests, however digital they may be, and showing them how to harness these platforms positively. We can guide them to find inspiration in stories of perseverance, much like Lauden Swain's in "Vision Quest," to fuel their ambitions.
Lessons from Vision Quest and the Top 10 movie list tradition extend beyond entertainment. They remind us of the importance of vision, dedication, and the constant pursuit of goals, qualities we aim to instill in the next generation. Embracing our roles as parents and guides can inspire our kiddos and students to dream big, work hard, and achieve greatness. We can influence their journey positively by encouraging them to pick up a new hobby, explore a subject deeply, or spend time in meaningful conversation. In doing so, we enrich their lives and ensure they grow into individuals capable of making their unique mark on the world, armed with the vision to see it through and the tenacity never to give up.