detachment

I don't wrap my emotions around horrifying things. When I read the book, "The Lovely Bones," I saw a great, fresh story that had never been done before to my knowledge.  Most of the people I talked to commented on how horrible the death was.  They weren't able to see beyond it.

I watched "amoresperros" this weekend.  The common thread in the picture is the characters relationships to dogs.  Some of the dogs are bloodied and killed. I am as big of an animal lover as anyone else, but the film is quite well-made.  I knew that they scenes were "faked."  Ordinarily animal injury and death would be very upsetting but there is more to the story and I am happy to be able to look beyond things that seem to stop other people.

I have to wonder if staying away from the daily bombardment of real-life horror we get from the news has something to do with my perception. I know that the book and the movie, though intense, were not real.

I have to wonder about other people who can numbly sit and do nothing about war, gas prices, discrimination and other real problems but get all beklempt about fictional rape and murder and dogfights.

What am I doing about those other things?

Well, I didn't vote for George W. Bush either time.  I am pulling out my bicycle to ride to work.  And I am looking into making a complaint against my employer.

And by the way, I support the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) every month.  I don't make a big squawk.  I just do what I can about things that are real.