What I Learned About Myself

I just looked through New York Magazine's Fall Previews and found out something about myself I hadn't really thought about. It listed the books, television shows, plays, movies, music, dance, etc. that we could expect in the next three months.

It occurred to me that if I died, I'd never get to see some of the upcoming movies they listed. Movies that looked pretty darn great. With that thought, I realized that as much as I love other mediums, my favorite is the movies. There is nothing like a movie to take me far away. Oh, maybe there are only a dozen great ones in a year. If that.

But when the lights go down, I always expect a transporting experience. The visual element, the sound of voices, the look of a vista or room is what I crave. I bet no one else agrees with this but the best movies I have seen in my lifetime trump the best books because I can visualize them still. I can remember the look on a face, the sound of a train passing, the words from a raspy or sinuous voice, the music of the score. There is no feeling for me better than the lights going down in a theater.

Anyone out there agree. Why not?