Be the Story

In the film “Groundhog Day”, that modern-day masterpiece about the force of Karma, Reincarnation, and TSK in daily life, Weatherman Phil is stuck reliving the same day over and over and over.  His “story” becomes his daily attempt to attract Rita, but there is never enough time before the day ends–and then the next morning, he is stuck once more in the old story with his old karma and–like Sysiphus–has to roll his old personality up the mountain side once more.

His deliverance comes when he finally accepts his life of repetition and makes the most of it: learns to play the piano, helps everyone whose path his crosses, and–in terms of this week’s wonderful reading–fully inhabits the story in which he finds himself.

There is one charming scene where Phil is finally behaving more naturally with Rita and she is consequently spending the afternoon in his room.  He is showing her how to toss playing cards across the room into a hat.  He has had a lot more practice at this, because he is living the same day over and over and over.

“Be the hat,” he urges her.

“Is this how you would choose to spend eternity?” she asks

“Now you know,” he responds.

Perhaps as we toss the cards we have been dealt into the hat of our dreams, we can do worse than incorporate Phil’s advice, and learn to . . .

“Be the story”