Tobey Maguire as Spider-Man from Sony Pictures’ Spider-Man 2.
[dropcap]I’m[/dropcap] sure everyone has had a moment, or moments, in your life that stand out to you. A moment where things sort of fell into place, or a great mystery of some sort revealed itself to you. I mean, I think those times in life are what we strive for day in and day out. Those moments when things just sort of seem to make sense, or you realize that you’re on the right path, or even a moment where it is so clear to you why you have someone in your life. Movies have shown us that these moments should be big, huge, epic. I’m talking fireworks, explosions, music, the whole shebang. I’m not sure that it was intended that you would have one of those moments sitting on your couch, watching Spider-Man, and having a few drinks. However, maybe those are the best times to have those moments. There’s nothing special about those moments, and yet they’re the most special of all. There’s nothing epic about those moments, but they create the memories that you can look back on when times are tough, or you’re feeling sad, or maybe just a little bit disconnected. They’re the moments when you remember what it is that you loved about another person. They’re the moments when you remember what it is that someone else loves about you. I realize that not every person I know is going to have some ridiculous moment watching Spider-Man with their significant other, but I also realize that not everyone is nerds like we are either.
We, as people, tend to take things in our lives for granted. We tend to believe that the things, and people, who are there will always be there. I think it might be our way of coping with the uncertainties and the realities of life. If we spent all of our time thinking about the fact that someone in our life could be gone at any moment, I think we would all be a little more anxious and unhappy. Let’s face it, our society does not need more reasons to be this way! However, it’s also healthy and necessary for us to have those moments that remind us that we aren’t infallible, and that we are able to lose someone that’s important to us for reasons that are completely out of our control. Spider-Man, as odd as it may seem to some, is that reminder for us. It is the reminder that we know exactly what life is like without the other one. It is the reminder that we know how trying to do the right thing, or a feeling of responsibility, can take away something that means more to you than you thought possible. It is a reminder of years lost, but all that was gained and changed in those years. It is a bitter sweet reminder of what could have been, and what never would have been. It is our reminder to never take for granted where we are now, and what our life has become. It is our reminder to embrace the good and the bad, the easy times and the hard times, because they are what matter.