Lifted Up

Photo credit: SAlexaE

I avoid telling complete strangers I'm an engineer.
"Oh, wow, engineering... you must be so smart."
No. No, I'm not. I just study hard and prefer numbers to words.
Being an engineer doesn't make you 'smart'. You might guess broad generalizations correctly... maybe that I like science or that I'm somewhat awkward. But smart?? My job title is "Engineer"-- it says NOTHING about my actual intelligence or personality.
I believe intelligence is derived from your thought process, not your occupation.

One of the first things I would do, upon changing the world, is lead a campaign against the academic hierarchy. I dislike how our society defines math and science as requiring 'smarts'... as if people in history or religion are automatically less intelligent. More training time, maybe, is demanded of pre-med and science students, but even that is debatable. I feel time consumed depends on your natural abilities. I spent countless more hours struggling to learn Spanish than I ever did on triple integrals. I think the same thought process-- the ability to pick apart problems and understand cause and effect-- makes people in ALL occupations successful.

We do a disservice to one another by judging or rating interests. How short-sighted to say a liberal arts degree is worthless. Science has revolutionized the world, but we can't MOVE people like the artists, musicians and writers can. Their work touches millions of people across the globe on a very fundamental level.

If you can't tell already, I just returned from my second viewing of Pixar's "Up".

Please go see this movie.
It's rawly emotional and stunningly beautiful. I laughed, I cried. The soundtrack is tender and lovely.
Maybe I'm biased because I'm a big fan of adventures in general (and Pixar specifically), but I found it very clever and sincere, as clever as "The Incredibles". The end to "Wall-E", as fantastic as the beginning was, seemed stale and artificial to me. Why would all of the self-absorbed, gluttonous humans suddenly and abruptly become concerned citizens? With "Up", the story is thoroughly thought out; all the pieces fit cleverly together, the movie effortlessly segues from one scene to the next. From Russell's use of the leaf blower to Muntz's dogs' frankly honest collars.

I can't stand it when films don't bother to give characters real motives or complex, unique personalities. Here, the characters develop organically, realistically reacting to the situations around them. Of course Carl would decide to help Kevin. He's grumpy and tired, not heartless; earlier scenes displayed his underlying compassion.

I also hate when films incite emotion using cheap stereotypical gimmicks a la Lifetime. The emotion drawn here is organic; it comes naturally and without heavy-handed cues. You cry, not because Ellie's absent, but because of the years she was present. Perhaps life isn't so much where we go or what we do, but who we spend it with. Sometimes adventures come in the form of another person's presence.

Or rather, even the "boring" parts are memorable alongside someone you love.