This I Believe

I believe in life’s bloopers.

It’s been almost six years since I started making movies with my sisters. We had a giant analog camera, parents that applauded everything we did, and absolutely no schedule at all. We filmed whatever popped into our heads and called it a movie. Most people that have seen our current work agree that we have come a long way since then. One sister writes out the script, one finds music, and the other edits. We are a well-oiled movie-making machine that has yet to reach the top. Yet despite our growth, we still mess up. In the cinematic world whatever mishaps occur on film are called bloopers and are immediately sent to the special features option of the DVD. My sisters and I enjoy watching our bloopers almost as much as the finished product. They remind us that despite all the arguments, wasted money, and technological problems, we still had fun.

If actors and crewmembers were perfect, then we wouldn’t have to worry about these things. In one take the scene would be done and sent for editing. But they’re not and thus mistakes are bound to happen. If I were the director, I would rather they laugh it off and start over than get distraught and run back to the trailer. Laughter lightens the mood and makes it easier to get back to work.

This same concept can be applied to everyday life. When you’re trying to finish an oral presentation in front of a class and mess up, why bother making an even bigger fool of yourself by turning it into a huge deal? If you laugh, then everyone watching will laugh and know that you’re trying. Just a few days ago I watched a normally shy girl sing in front of her entire Spanish class. She missed a few words and became so flustered that she began to cry. No one wants to be put in that position and the audience knows that. But what can they do if you’re standing up there like a deer in the headlights? Make light of the situation. Tell them that it’s okay and accept that nobody is perfect.

You could be jogging and fall flat on your face. You could be in an intense argument and forget what your side was. You could call your husband by your ex-boyfriend’s name. Life’s bloopers are bound to happen everyday to everyone, and we have to learn how to deal with it.