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Tag: Eyes of the Dragon

Emily Dickinson, Elevation, The Shawshank Redemption, The Dodo, and Romans 15:4

Sunday Supplement #32 (December 19th, 2021)

Below is another Sunday Supplement with a quote worth sharing, a book worth reading, a movie worth watching, brainfood worth consuming, and a spiritual passage worth pondering.

I hope you take something away from these recommendations that enriches your week ahead!

Quote of the Week:

“Hope is the thing with feathers that perches in the soul and sings the tune without the words and never stops at all.”

– Emily Dickinson

Book of the Week:

Elevation – Stephen King

I’ve featured two Stephen King books in the Sunday Supplements, Cujo in Sunday Supplement #19 and Eyes of the Dragon in Sunday Supplement #4.

Stephen King fans will know the affiliation of the number 19 in his works, so I felt it appropriate to dedicate a passage on the 19th to King.

I’ve given two different sides of King’s writing so far, and Elevation falls to his more positive side. If there is a single book in his canon that breaks his stereotype, this would be the one I’d encourage non-horror fans to give a chance.

Elevation tells the story of Scott Carey, who starts steadily losing weight at an increasingly alarming rate, even though there doesn’t seem to be a difference in his physical appearance.

Carey doesn’t want to raise the alarm, but he trusts his local doctor, who worries about the eventual outcome of the process. In the meantime, Carey builds a relationship with the couple next door who experience prejudices of the small Maine town of Castle Rock because of their sexual preferences.

As Carey comes to see the reality of his neighbors’ situation and his own, he starts to try and help the community.

I’ve read over 40 Stephen King novels, and this one (146 pages hardcover) was one of the most surprising and enjoyable. If you check it out, let me know!

Movie of the Week:

The Shawshank Redemption 

Stephen King features again with the adaptation of his novella Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption.

The 1994 adaptation of King’s novella follows the bond two men create through common acts of decency while imprisoned and their eventual redemption.

When asked what my favorite movie is or what I think the best movie ever made is, I usually answer Casablanca, Citizen Kane, or The Shawshank Redemption.

IMDB lists the film as number one on their Top 250 movies list, which backs up my claim why the film is one of the best ever made.

There is a big difference between the novella and the film, but the narrative’s overall message of redemption and hope isn’t lost.

The film didn’t do well at the box office and was nominated for seven Oscars but didn’t win one. This snub amazes me, but the film’s recognition in film culture makes up for the lack of awards.

If you haven’t seen The Shawshank Redemption, put it at the top of your list. The movie might become your favorite film ever.

Brainfood of the Week:

Human Chain Rescues Dog Stranded in Canal | The Dodo

The Dodo is one of my favorite Youtube channels to indulge randomly. Their channel aims to create a place for everyone who loves animals and cares about their wellbeing. They host uplifting videos about animals, their owners, and their stories.

In this video, a few total strangers in Almaty, Kazakhstan, come together to form a human chain to rescue a stranded dog in a canal.

Everyone once in a while, I find myself Googling or searching on YouTube “random acts of kindness” to give me a boost. What I find always lifts my spirits.

This particular video shows me the power of one person deciding to do something that makes a difference. That one act can give other’s courage to join.

Moments like these restore my faith in humanity. They can be small or big, but they always remind me that we have the power to make a difference in the world.

Closing Spiritual Passage:

“For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through the endurance taught in the Scriptures and the encouragement they provide we might have hope.”

– Romans 15:4

When I feel down, it can be hard for me to be positive or remember good times. This Bible passage reminds me that I have made it through every difficult period in my life.

Every time we go through enduring times, blinders can block us from seeing the light of the good times in our life. It can also be tough to believe that there will be more enjoyable moments in our lives in the future.

Our current situation might be the most challenging situation we’ve encountered, but our life experience should teach us that we’ve survived everything we’ve faced.

In moments where I haven’t faced challenges the way I hoped I would, or the results didn’t go my way, I’ve felt down or discouraged. However, when I have time to reflect, I’ve found that there usually are lessons for me to learn from each failure.

In the end, I find and choose hope. This passage perfectly reminds me that there is always something to learn and that we always have reason to hope for good times.

Find something you can learn from, find the hope from that lesson, and have a blessed week ahead!

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Eleanor Roosevelt, Stephen King, Collateral, Cognitive Distortions, and an Atharva Veda Passage


Sunday Supplement #4 (June 6th, 2021)

Below is another Sunday Supplement with a quote worth sharing, a book worth reading, a movie worth watching, brainfood worth consuming, and a spiritual passage worth pondering.

I hope you take something away from this post that enriches your week ahead!

Quote of the Week:

“A good leader inspires people to have confidence in the leader. A great leader inspires people to have confidence in themselves.”

-Eleanor Roosevelt

Book of the Week:

Eyes of the Dragon – Stephen King

Eyes of the Dragon takes place in the medieval setting of Delain. The kingdom mourns the death of their king, who was murdered in strange circumstances. An evil wizard plots to see the king’s son, Peter, imprisoned for his father’s murder, which would put Peter’s irresolute younger brother in line for the throne. Peter is the only one who knows the truth, and only he can save Delain from the evil wizard’s plans.

On the cover jacket of the 1st edition, King stated, “Although I had written thirteen novels by the time my daughter had attained an equal number of years, she hadn’t read any of them. She’s made it clear that she loves me but has very little interest in my vampires, ghouls, and slushy crawling things.” He goes on to assure readers that it wasn’t a children’s book either— “I respected my daughter enough then – and now – to try and give her my best… and that includes a refusal to ‘talk down.’ Or put another way, I did her the courtesy of writing for myself as well as for her.”

The book wasn’t well-received by King’s following at the time, though. A few years later, he wrote Misery. Interestingly, Misery’s plot follows an author who tries to break free from his typecast by killing off the main character of his popular Romance series, only to be later taken captive by a deranged fan and forced to write another book in the series. I always thought Misery was a subtle (or not so subtle) jab at his followers for the reception of Eyes of the Dragon.

Stephen King is often unfairly labeled as just a horror author. There are actually many of his books that disprove this typecast. I didn’t read King for a long time because I didn’t like horror. However, I’m glad I gave his books a chance. There’s a reason he’s one of the most famous authors alive. And I believe there is a King book out there for everyone. Eyes of the Dragon is one for those who are fans of Fantasy.

Movie of the Week:

Collateral

The 2004 Drama/Thriller follows a cab driver grinding out shifts to make enough money for his own limo company. The audience is introduced to the driver, Max, and sees a pleasant exchange between him and a fare, Annie. His next fare turns out to be a contract killer, Vincent. Over the course of the night, Vincent forces Max to escort him to and from each of his hits. All of the dots end up connecting.

Jamie Foxx plays the cab driver, and Tom Cruise plays the contract killer. Both excel in their roles and drive the movie forward with captivating performances. Jada Pinkett Smith and Mark Ruffalo hold their own with significantly less screen time, and brilliant cameos from Javier Bardem and Barry Shabaka Henley round out the top-class acting. 

The screenplay is a perfect puzzle with no extra pieces. And each piece is a crucial element to the overall story. Director, Michael Mann, put the actors through the paces to bring the story to life. Months of prep work went into the character building, which only shows on the screen in the flow of the acting, but it was crucial for bringing out the intensity of the movie. The detail that went into creating the film’s world can be seen on the DVD extras in the making of the film

*If you want to see how months went into choreography, character building, scene prep, camera work, art direction, and the score of the film, check out the link— it gives a stunning inside look into how much work can go into the making of a movie.

Collateral has so much depth from a simple story because of the original script by Stuart Beattie. That framework allowed everyone involved to bring their expertise and talents to the table, which resulted in the powerful final product. The movie’s competence and quality in all departments are what makes it last in the annals of film history. It is certainly worth checking out for a future movie night.

Brainfood of the Week:

Cognitive Distortions: 10 Examples of Distorted Thinking” – Healthline.com article

Cognitive distortions are thought patterns that promote inaccurate, usually negative, ways to view reality.

– Failing when trying something for the first time and assuming that you’re not good at it or that it’s not for you.

– Being able to cheer others’ accomplishments but not your own— Viewing what you did as not great and being subjectively negative about achievements. 

These are examples of cognitive distortions. They can occur as random thoughts or when you’re tired and stressed. But they can become habits if done often, which results in increased anxiety, depression, and difficulty interacting with others.

The Healthline.com article discusses the types of cognitive distortions, where they come from, and how you can change them. It is a useful article to review and can be a valuable tool for understanding these types of behavior. 

Whether cognitive distortions are something you experience or are something you see in the actions of others, being able to identify them is extremely helpful in recognizing and breaking out of the negative viewpoint.

Closing Prayer/Passage:

“Do not be led by others, awaken your own mind, amass your own experience, and decide for yourself your own path.”

– Atharva Veda

Something I’ve worked on over the past year is being present and being able to speak up and advocate for myself. It’s still a work in progress, but I believe listening to your heart is crucial in living your best life.

That doesn’t mean I’m always right, but it’s a good compass to go by, and I hope to always learn from my mistakes.

Have a blessed week ahead, and listen to your heart!

*P.S. My apologies to anyone who filled out a contact form on the Contact tab. There was an issue with the programming, and I did not receive your message. I have fixed the problem, and I will now be able to receive messages.

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2021 © Drew Alexander Ross