column :: origins
Posted by Paul | Filed under columns
Have you noticed how everyone is going back to their roots these days? In the cinema we have watched as Superman Returns after searching out his birthplace and as Batman Begins. We’ve seen Hannibal Lector start out and James Bond on his first mission. And on TV people are tracing their ancestors to answer ‘Who do you think you are?’
So, why the sudden interest in our pasts? Perhaps we hope that by looking back we can make sense of our present; that we’ll find some hidden meaning.
Of course, this is fine if you are fictional. Some scriptwriter can conjure up an exciting story with hints of greatness. But what if we look back and find nothing: no moments that ironically point to the future, no secrets of coming significance. Worst of all, what if our past is just dull?
Perhaps digging in our past is the wrong approach. Perhaps instead we need to look outside ourselves. Perhaps what we need is a bigger story we can become part of.
2 Responses to “column :: origins”
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Jonny Says:
February 11th, 2010 at 10:38 am
that reminds me of a great MSN status from someone on a friends contact list: “I wouldn’t want anything to happen to my parents, but every superhero needs a backstory.”
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Paul Says:
February 11th, 2010 at 5:53 pm
Excellent!
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