greatness...

Patch Adams was on the telly box on Friday the thirteenth. A tale of hope for black Friday. Pretty apt if you ask me. Another one of life’s ironies at a quirky moment since it was running through my mind that very day about medical school and my life and the whole chunk that has been bothering me at the front and back of my mind.

Well, it was and still is one of my favourite old time movies for what it stands for, and the hopes and inspiration it is to me personally. No doubt it was probably dramatized by Hollywood by a large extent for profits sake, but nevertheless, the principles and ideals behind it are still very much valid in the world of reality. It was also one of the few movies that my daddy would quote in my faltering moments of self doubt, not just because it was an insightful movie worthy for motivation, but because it was based on the biography of a man whose revelations made ideals come to life.

Catching the show in all its lousy reception had no lesser impact on me when it was first watched. On the contrary, it is rather amusing how it is always played at a time where a reminder is needed most, and at its best, there is always something new to take home when the credit rolling begins. Somehow, it somehow manages to almost always spark off a fresh perspective on an old notion and set it in motion. My only conflict with it? If only medical school was as easy as the movie character made it out to be.

This time around, the show brought home and hinted at the concept of greatness. All this time, whenever the word “greatness” pops up, the brain wave that goes off will be that it must be a somebody, a huge somebody for the matter, of much affluence and influence, who could move mountains, metaphorically so to speak. A somebody, and not a nobody. Right now, really am the latter than the former. Feels like it. However, the movie reminded me different.

Greatness is not in the position that you have be in. It can be anywhere, anytime, what you make it out to be for there is no real definition to it. Touching people’s lives just by being in touch with that someone is not greatness, and yet in its own roundabout way, it is. Every person that walks through the door is a patient, and yet every single one of them can be a doctor too, for the healing that can be brought to another being. That was a staggering message that hit like a freight train at the speed of light, though think the more apt description of the feeling would be more like that of the atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima.

The beauty of greatness comes about when one person can pass on one’s bit of kindness, received and bestowed by someone, onto another, inadvertently doing, what one hopes for, what many hope for, change and make the world a better place. Somewhat akin to the renown butterfly effect, and yet at the same time, not quite.The beauty of greatness certainly is an enigma unto itself that no words can quite explicitly explain.

Inspirationally impelled and momentarily spurred on once more, yet again, to try. After all, Rome was not built in a day.

The sky is the limit, so reach for the stars. If you fall, at least, maybe, just maybe, you might fall onto a little fluffy white cloud, if you are lucky that is. If not, be very prepared for an eternity of brokenness.

The only thing left for speculation, is how long it would last, before it dies out; all over again.