I just finished watching Look Both Ways, a 2005 Australian independent movie. I watched it because I had one of those idea moments today.
As I was walking on a sidewalk next to a busy street, I approached a minor street to cross. I glanced left, but was not yet crossing when a car came from behind me and turned right, quickly passing directly in front of me. She was driving a little too fast, did not signal, and may not have seen me. I checked to my left again for traffic and safely crossed the street.
Before I reached the opposite side, I realized that I had not looked to my right to ensure no cars were coming from that side. I recalled being told repeatedly, as a child of five or six, to look both ways before crossing the street. While the threatening traffic was on my left, I should have looked right.
I’m also in the process of reading How to Write Short, a book by Roy Peter Clark. Dr. Clark’s book has me thinking about how effective we can be with few words. Thus, I had one of those rare moments when an idea comes to me.
Look both ways can serve as my metaphorical phrase for living life—staying alive and healthy. I can see it as considering all sides of an issue (pro and con), hearing people out who may think different than I, discerning dangers of life, being careful, remembering lessons from our childhood, trying different things and new places. Can you add to my list?
Here is my advice: look both ways.
There are about a half-dozen books with the title Look Both Ways. I only found the one movie and I’m glad that I watched it. I enjoy that kind of flick. If you like artsy, emotional, love-story-ish movies with lots of music and relevant singing in the background, give it a go, mate. I had to get my ear tuned to the Aussie English, but I managed. I found it for two bucks on Amazon, but you might find it for free on YouTube. Warning: tear jerker. See the official trailer here.
There is no vegemite in the movie, but she does say, “Are you giving me the flick?” That must be Australian for Are we breaking up or Are you dumping me?
Furthermore, starting this Tuesday, each blog I post on Our Rainy Journey will end with some comment about “look both ways,” at least until I tire of it. And, yes, there is rain in the movie—they get wet.
Our Literary Journey 
I remember being told to “pay attention” when I was young. As an adult, I translate that to being “mindful” – which is something I still struggle with. I’m guilty of trying to do too many things at the same time! Thanks for the bonus post today, hope you’re enjoying the holiday.
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Humor. You don’t get far without some kind of humor, whether it’s sardonic, or silly, or just seeing the funny sides (and almost everything has one of those).
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When I first got my puppy, my son was still really young, four in fact. As we walked the dog around the neighborhood I would always remind the kiddo to look both ways before we cross the street. So we would stop look both ways twice, then start across. To this day my dog stops at each intersection, looks both ways, and then again in the middle of the street.
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Operant conditioning at its best.
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being a bit of a misanthrope, I do love that Jack Nickolson meme.
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