Better than fiction

What would you do if you met the hero or heroine of a novel you were writing? What would you say?

I just finished watching (for the umpteenth time) Stranger than Fiction, and that is exactly what happens to a prominent author. The man she was about to kill in her story finds her and asks her not to kill him.

How would you react to seeing them, standing there in the flesh?

I think I would be utterly fascinated, almost like a new mother glorying at a perfect child. I would want to look at her, hold her, comfort her for all the grief I put her through. I would ask her to stick with me through the story, wait to see the end. And I would be so proud that something that came solely from my thoughts had shaped into such a strong and beautiful person.

The thing I love most about this movie, though, is how hopeful and life-affirming it is. For a man who doesn't go outside his daily routine, to break that and finally live is such an amazing thing to me. How often do I get stuck in the humdrum aspects of my life and wish it were more exciting, more engaging? The only one who can take the fault for that is myself.

I cry every time I see him find passion for life while knowing he only has a short while left. I have an unknowable time on this planet. Am I living like the end was near? Am I jumping in feet first, damning the consequences as long as it is what I deem right and best?

Sadly, most often I am not. So my plea to all—including myself—is to live. Seek adventure, take a new road, learn to love living and forget the things that make it seem not worthwhile. Find the joy you can in the time you have. It's worth it.