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A River Runs Through It

A movie about fly fishing that somehow manages to make one ponder about what it means to be alive.


A kid who wants to grow up to be a fly fisherman. Another kid who wants to be a boxer.


A preacher who's devoted to his calling of inspiring and soothing his people through the power of words as revealed by his God. The kids grow up. The elder one turns into the responsible one while the younger is more adventurous. Love and a stable career are the ambitions for one. The other aspires to and enjoys taking life on.


But risk taking can exact grim reapings. One can get killed. This is almost inevitable. But perhaps that's precisely part of the allure of this kind of life.


In time, the kid grows old. And reflects on the meaning of it all. The river meanwhile is the one constant. What a wonderful metaphor for life a river is! Always flowing, never stopping. With hidden dangers lurking beneath the surface.


We are responsible for the decisions we make in our lives. The consequences are for us to bear. Life and people's decisions can be inexplicable at times.


But the larger truth to absorb is that we'll all be old. And dead. Some sooner. Some later. Those who die young can be like those bright burning huge stars that have short life spans. It's for those who live to be old to reflect and remember. To persist and persevere.





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