picture in my mind

I realise I love so many of the movies that Robin Williams was ever in, but if I had to choose a favourite, it's Good Will Hunting (although Dead Poet's Society also awesome beyond awesome, how to choose).




Ohmygosh, this scene! I have to cry everytime I watch this:






This may seem incongruous, but my thoughts have been running on:

"Expecto Patronum!" cried Harry.

Nothing happened.

Not a single flicker of light.

When Harry looked up, Remus Lupin was still studying the wand, a rather troubled look on his faintly scarred face.

Finally Remus shook his head. "I'm sorry, Harry," the man said quietly. "Your wandwork was exactly right."

And there wasn't a flicker of light anywhere else, either, because all the other first-years who were supposed to be practicing their Patronus Charms had been glancing out of the corners of their eyes at Harry instead.

The tears were threatening to come back into Harry's eyes, and they weren't happy tears. Of all the things, of all the things, Harry had never expected this.

There was something horribly humiliating about being informed that you weren't happy enough.

-- Harry Potter and the Methods of Rationality

I would like to defy this pervasive belief that being sad is shameful, which is how really-sad people become ever isolated and marginalised. I was once very sad, and sometimes I get really sad still, and I'm proud of it. I believe that you cannot feel extreme joy and gratitude, without having felt pain and despair. Seriously, being happy is commonplace; but sadness and tragedy is grand -- because it cultivates the best qualities in humans. Heroes never grow in the lap of luxury, I guarantee you (I can't think of a single instance from my knowledge of fictional heroes, or otherwise). Struggle is an absolute necessity in the making of anything great.

So all those people who get sad, depressed, or struggle in life -- why contemplate exiting life early, when God Is only providing you the circumstances for greatness?