This IS It, but It Shouldn't Be

The title "This Is It" really says it all. Although the film is sort of a celebration of Michael Jackson's career, the King of Pop's LIFE is officially over. Say what you want about him - you can call him an icon, a man with a beautiful voice, a superb dancer, an extraordinary choreographer, a brilliant songwriter, a trailblazer. Others may call him a child molester, a freak, a has-been. And then, there are others who call him a caring father, a gentle soul and a giver. No matter what you think of Michael Jackson, I think most would agree that his life was cut way too short and it clearly didn't have to be. When watching the clips of his rehearsals only weeks, even days, before his death, you can see that he was very much alive - in every sense of the word. There's a part in the film when one of the crew members talks about the "This Is It" concert being about pushing boundaries, "because that's what Michael Jackson is all about". He constantly pushed boundaries in his life - some made him famous, some made him infamous... but it's interesting that pushing boundaries so that he could get some sleep led to his ultimate demise. When will celebrities, and regular people like you and me, realize that you can't ALWAYS push boundaries in life? Heath Ledger - died of an accidental overdose. Anna Nicole Smith - died of an accidental overdose. DJ AM, also known as Adam Goldstein - died of an accidental overdose. These are all people, who were young when they died. I am quite certain none of them wanted to die when they did. They should have had many more years to enjoy life. We only get one chance to live in this lifetime... one chance. Why risk losing that chance? When people practice this kind of behavior, they're not just playing with fire. They're playing with fire, gasoline and dynamite. I wish Michael Jackson had taken a little advice from himself before it was too late. "I'm starting with the man in the mirror. I'm asking him to change his ways. No message could have been any clearer. If you want to make the world a better place, take a look at yourself and then make the change." Even if you can't get it entirely "right while you got the time", you can certainly get it close and continue to live.

Couples Retreat - Not Always A Vacation

"I WANT to be married, 'cause I wanna have people to share my life with." That's what Dave (played by Vince Vaughn) says to Joey (Jon Favreau) towards the end of "Couples Retreat". Here's the question though... and I would truly like some answers. Is it better to stay in a marriage that's mediocre or worse just so you have someone to share your life with and grow old with or is it better to be alone? Of course, you can still share your life with friends, siblings, parents, children and the like, but is it crucial to have that companion? Someone to go to weddings with, a standing date on New Year's Eve... someone you can always call if your car breaks down or if you need them to pick up milk on the way home. So many people live these lives day after day after day, but they're not truly in love with their partner. They do it for the kids, they do it because they think it might be better than being alone, they do it because it's easier to stay married than get divorced and divide everything up. Many of them are cheating on their spouses and try to pretend like everything's hunky dory in their home life. I don't mean to sound like Debbie Downer or anything, but let's face it. This is the reality. Don't get me wrong. There are certainly people who are madly, passionately in love and will remain committed to one another until they die, but sadly, I think those couples are few and far between. Why is that? I think people get scared that they will end up alone or that they'll be too old to have kids if they wait for their soul mate, so they just tie the knot with the wrong person. Why is the divorce rate so high? About 50%, I believe, right now. That's not good. On the flip side, having someone you can always rely on, someone you can talk to about anything and everything, someone who makes you feel better just by giving you a hug or passing along a smile... that all sounds fantastic. But does it last? How do you make it last? How do you find that person? How many of us are capable of being with that one person for the rest of our live's? Why are there so few couples like Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward? Think about those couples who are married for decades and when one of them dies, the other one ends up dying a few months later, because they can't live without the other person. Why do so many people say the fairy tale doesn't exist? Why can't it? Why? Why? Why? I welcome your responses.

No Regrets - Whether You're a Human or a Zombie

In "Zombieland", Bill Murray acting as himself gets mistaken for a zombie and gets himself shot. Ah, Bill! If only it were "Groundhog Day", you could start the day over and reconsider that prank that got yourself hit with a bullet. Dagnabbit!!! Anyway, as he lays dying (hilarious till his final breath), one of the Zombie hunters says "Any regrets?". His answer: "Uhhh, maybe 'Garfield'." Remember that live action film about that lazy, orange, cartoon cat? Yeah, most people don't. But maybe you'll remember this. When people ask me what my greatest regret is (though thankfully not on my death bed), I always say that I don't have any regrets. I believe that if you learn from mistakes in life and don't make the same mistake twice, there's no reason to regret anything. Perhaps things didn't go your way at one point or you made some bad decisions... whatever it is, if it makes you a better person or helped you get somewhere you otherwise wouldn't, then there's a reason it happened. So, instead of harping on something really stupid you did (because let's face it - we ALL do stupid things sometimes), figure out how that experience can benefit you in the long run and move on. NO REGRETS! NO REGRETS!