The first movie that I remember really affecting me was "The Wizard of Oz." I think I was three when I saw it. The Wicked Witch of the West terrified me, but beyond that, the character of Dorothy Gale was the first character that made me think, "I want to be her." There were others through my childhood that I felt similarly about but when I was young, it was all about Dorothy.
Somewhere along the line of growing up, the effect of characters is supposed to fade. Isn't it? That's what people tell me. Stop living in a dream world. Be here in reality. And so on.
But I disagree. A well-developed, strong character is supposed to affect you. It is supposed to speak to you. It shows that a piece of work is just that much more powerful. While I have always appreciated music, film, literature and television, I have never considered myself to be "artsy" as much as I have wanted to be. But I do value the fact that someone fictional, from an unreal place and nonexistent experiences do provide an escape or hope or a dream in some way.
On an unrelated note, soon, I do not know when, but soon, my lifestyle will change. I will wake up every morning NOT knowing how the next 24 hours will unfold. That is not to say it will be struggle-free or easy, in fact, I have started to embrace challenge but no mundane, no monotony, no routine.
I told Julie over the weekend that when I accepted the fact that daily life is not supposed to be perfect, I felt like a weight was lifted off my shoulders and I began feeling happy again. Reminding myself of that every morning is sometimes necessary.