Eat, Pray, Love, Reality

I just finished watching the movie Eat, Pray, Love and wondered why everyone liked it so much. It's not that I didn't like the movie, I thought there were some enjoyable parts. I love to eat, but the stark truth is I will gain weight if I continually feed my soul with pasta, pizza, and wine. The "enlightenment" sections didn't speak to me in any real profound way. But I think people are generally missing something in their spiritual lives, and Hollywood has a way of making any non-Christian religion seem wonderfully exciting. They're very good at mocking Christian-like characters, and they never seem to portray true followers of Christ in any of the ways I know real Christians to live.

Our apartment in Seoul: we lived
on the third floor with a restaurant
on the main level.

The scenery was very dreamy and, I think, inspired people to want to visit those places. I know the realities of living in another country. I lived in Seoul, South Korea for seven months and Mannheim, Germany for three years. Granted, I had the advantages of "Little Americas" being near or living on the Army's military posts, but I regularly ventured out into the world. I wouldn't trade the opportunity to have lived overseas for anything.  It was wonderful for my children, as well. People who never are afforded the chance to travel are missing out on many of the experiences life has to offer them.

Our duplex in Germany: flower boxes were big there

There are problems with living in another country though: the language barriers can be frustrating, and so can the different smells. Getting lost or losing a child (a future post) can be very frightening. And nothing can be done without money. Julia Roberts apparently had enough money to quit working for a year and go on a quest to find herself. She lived in decent places (yes, even the run-down apartment in Rome was full of character even if she did have to boil 5 pots of water to bathe) and always had the ability to feed herself.

But real life doesn't always allow you the luxury of picking up and leaving everything behind for a year. Most of us will never be able to afford that kind of experience. That's why movies like this appeal to the imaginations of moviegoers. They can fantasize for 90 minutes and live their lives through the eyes of this woman for a short while.

I enjoy an afternoon of reverie every once in awhile, but then the demands of motherhood and wifehood call to me. I must continue on through the tasks of my life and enjoy the good things I have right in front of me: the things no one in Hollywood is going to make a movie about. I pray I count my blessings regularly and never forget to thank the one true God who gives me everything I need.

Carolyn "Care Bear" King