Trivial Post #6: 'The World's End' And My Mid-Life Crisis

*The following is an off-the-wall post made selfishly by me.  I do not expect it to make much sense, as it is often just babbling with a keyboard:

After waiting 6 years for the next and final installment of Edgar Wright’s ‘Three Flavours Cornetto” trilogy, I finally had the chance to soak in ‘The World’s End’ with my wife on Saturday.  I am a ginormous, tool of a fan of Edgar’s directorial and writing sense.  Add to that the additional pen of Simon Pegg and you get a product that is brilliantly written, filmed and executed.  But there is something different this time.  ‘The World’s End’ seems to come from a different space and season of life.  It retains the same DNA that runs the Edgar/Simon continuum; however there exists a conspicuous and familiar haunt that is further separate from ‘Shaun of the Dead’ and ‘Hot Fuzz’. Quite frankly, it is older.  The dominant theme seems to be the inevitable reckoning we all face at some point of our lives.  That stretch of life when we become fully aware of aging, and examine ourselves honestly.  I wonder if it was easier to recognize since I am now pushing 40.  I'm sure it is the reason I appreciated the film so much. 

This is not meant to be a film review, but a reconciliation I’m working through.  I have been wading in waves of pause and consideration concerning my own life at this point. I interrogate myself with questions, as if I’m sitting in a room with a detective holding a hot lamp to my face trying to sweat the truth out of me.  “What were you doing during the years 1975 to 2013?”, and “What do you have to say for yourself?  You know you’re going to die someday, right?”.  If you’ve not reached this point in your life, be patient – it will find you.  I suppose the best way to describe such a phase is, well, you finally see that big picture that you’ve heard so much about growing up.  I thought I had, but I was wrong.  It is a genuine moment of abstract clarity; you are suddenly mindful of everything in your life – from past to present to future – and everyone in it.  You  clearly see the relationship it all shares (that Jedi symbiosis thing).  Then you really understand Pink Floyd. “When I was a child, I caught a fleeting glimpse out of the corner of my eye.  I turned to look but it was gone – I cannot put my finger on it now.  The child is grown the dream is gone.  I have become comfortably numb”.  You sincerely question whether or not your best days have grown and gone.

I know we shouldn’t let regrets govern the life we live.  I mean, we all have them.  And now that I truly understand what that big picture really means, I can at least invest better moving forward.  Maybe I’ve hit that mid-life thing, and drawing comics is my version of a new corvette. It could be worse.

I can tell you that even though this part of life sounds like the complete opposite of delightful, it can be liberating.  There is a better sense of direction and meaning to be gained.  Wiser choices can be made.  This is the moment you untie the past – mistakes and all – and really begin; the first 40 years were practice. 

I know this wasn’t really art or comics related, but sometimes you just have to put your thoughts into words, you know?  I am willing to wager that anyone in my particular “season of life” shoes knows exactly what I’m talking about.