WHY DID I GET MARRIED

WHEN TEACHING A CLASS IN BLACK HISTORY, I WOULD SOMETIMES MENTION TO THE STUDENTS THAT I WAS THE LARGEST PERSON IN THE ROOM AND MOST LIKELY THE STRONGEST.I SUGGESTED THAT IN A FIGHT, NO ONE COULD BEAT ME OR IF THEY COULD BEAT ME, THEY WOULD HAVE TO SUFFER SERIOUS INJURIES TO DO SO.
I THEN ASKED IF MY OBSERVATIONS SEEMED CORRECT OR AT LEAST REASONABLE.
I EXPLAINED TO THE CLASS THAT WE WERE GOING TO WATCH SCENES FROM A FILM LIKE THE JACKIE ROBINSON STORY OR A NEWS CLIP OF MLK, MALCOLM X, ROSA PARKS, FANNIE LOU HAMER, THE LITTLE ROCK HIGH SCHOOL RIOTS, THE SELMA MARCH INCIDENT OR SOME OTHER VERY EMOTIONAL EVENT, WHICH CALLED FOR GREAT COURAGE ON THE PART OFTHOSE INVOLVED.
I WARNED THE CLASS TO EXPECT TO SEE TEARS IN MY EYES AND HAVE ME PAUSE TO CLEAR MY THROAT AND RECOVER MY BREATH, BEFORE I COULD ASK MY QUESTIONS.
MY POINT WAS THAT I WAS PHYSICALLY STRONG, BUT EMOTIONALLY, I COULD NOT PROCESS THE KIND OF COURAGE I WAS PRESENTING TO THEM -- EVEN THOUGHT THESE EVENTS WERE NOT NEW TO ME - THEY WERE DECADES OLD - BUT STILL HUMBLED ME.
I ASKED THE CLASSES IF MY EMOTIONS WERE A DISTRACTION AND THEY BASICALLY ALWAYS ANSWERED THAT MY TEARS WERE PROOF THAT THESE EVENTS WERE REAL AND SERIOUS AND MEANINGFUL.
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WHILE VIEWING, WHY DID I GET MARRIED, THOSE SAME TEARS AND DIFFICULTY IN BREATHING CAME INTO PLAY. THE FUNNY PARTS AND THE SERIOUS PARTS MOVED ME EQUALLY.
THIS IS LISTED AS A ROMANTIC COMEDY -- BUT TO ME THE THEME IS COURAGE. EACH CHARACTER HAS TO HAVE THE COURAGE TO FACE UP TO THE CHOICES THEY HAVE MADE -THEY HAVE TO GET REAL AND CAST OFF THE FACADE THAT PROTECTS THEIR EGO.
EACH CHARACTER WILL BE PSYCHOLOGICALLY NAKED AT SOME POINT IN THIS FILM. LOVE IS NOT A FEEL GOOD EXPERIENCE, IT IS PAINFUL AT TIMES AND TO SOME DEGREE WE MISTREAT THOSE WE LOVE AND THOSE WHO LOVE US.
WATCHING THESE FOLKS ADMIT AND DEAL WITH THAT REGRETFUL REALITY WAS BOTH PAINFUL AND UPFLIFTING TO ME.
WE OFTEN THINK OF A WAR MOVIE OR A WESTERN AS FILMS THAT WILL FEATURE COURAGE, BUT I CAN'T THINK OF ANY FILM WHERE SO MANY CHARACTERS STEPPED UP AND DEMONSTRATED THE EMOTIONAL BRAVERY NEEDED TO ADMIT MISTAKES AND TO SAY WHAT WAS IN THEIR HEART.
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THERE IS NO REASON TO TALK ABOUT THE ACTING, DIRECTION, WRITING OR ANY OTHER ELEMENT OF THIS FILM. THIS IS A FILM THAT SHOULD NOT BE MISSED BY ANY GROWN PERSON - IF YOU MISS THIS FILM, I HAVE TO BELIEVE YOU HAVE DONE INJURE TO YOURSELF.
EVERYONE OF US IS REPRESENTED IN THE MOVIE - TO ME, THERE IS NOTHING MORE TO SAY ABOUT THIS FILM EXCEPT, YOU WOULD BE FOOLISH TO MISS IT.