Tag: friendship

Willie Stargell, The Great Santini, Holes, Simon Sinek, and Riyad as-Salihin 322

Willie Stargell, The Great Santini, Holes, Simon Sinek, and Riyad as-Salihin 322

Published by Drew Alexander Ross on October 8, 2023

Sunday Supplement #126 (October 8th, 2023)

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.

Please take something away from these recommendations that enriches your week ahead!

Quote of the Week:

“There’s nothing a value more than the closeness of friends and family, a smile as I pass someone on the street.”

– Willie Stargell

Book of the Week:

The Great Santini – Pat Conroy

Pat Conroy’s The Great Santini is a coming-of-age novel that follows Ben Meecham’s life in a fictional military town in South Carolina under the strict rule of his father, Wilbur Meecham.

Wilbur “Bull” Meecham calls himself the Great Santini, and Conroy describes the man as a warrior without a war.

The Meecham family struggles as newcomers to fit into the small South Carolina town, and the novel explores this dynamic through Ben’s time in high school.

The Great Santini was adapted into an Oscar-nominated film starring Robert Duvall, Blythe Danner, and Michael O’Keefe.

Conroy is a brilliant author. I’ve featured two other Pat Conroy books; this is the third novel I believe is of the highest quality of storytelling.

Movie of the Week:

Holes

New York Times bestseller, National Book Award Winner, and Newbery Medal-winning novel Holes by Louis Sachar was adapted into the 2003 film five years after publication.

The story follows Stanley Yelnats, a thirteen-year-old boy with a curse on his family, as he is wrongfully convicted and sent to a detention camp where the boys are mysteriously tasked to dig holes in the desert to build character.

A movie adaptation of a novel can always be hit or miss, but Sachar wrote the screenplay, and Andrew Davis brought the story to the screen with an all-star cast of legends and newcomers.

Sigourney Weaver, Jon Voigt, and Shia LaBeouf stand out in the excellent adaptation, and you’re likely to recognize some quality cameos as well.

Holes is a fun movie that has an engaging and entertaining story with a deeper core of themes around consequences, destiny, and friendship. Check it out if you haven’t seen it!

Brainfood of the Week:

The Importance of Human Connection | Simon Sinek

I recently featured a Simon Sinek video, and even though I liked to vary up the content, this video was perfect for the week’s theme.

Sinek is a bestselling author and speaker. He spoke at the UN Global Compact Leaders Summit in 2016 and has an imprint at Penguin Random House, Optimism Press.

In this video, Sinek discusses the shift of functioning virtually and how virtual communication doesn’t fulfill everything an in-person human connection does.

One aspect in particular Sinek highlights is trust. He talks about how building trust happens in little moments of connecting with someone in person.

The short video mainly focuses on the benefits of working in-person versus virtually, but there are good reminders of how we need human connection in our lives regardless.

Closing Spiritual Passage:

“The person who perfectly maintains the ties of kinship is not the one who does it because he gets recompensed by his relatives (for being kind and good to them), but the one who truly maintains the bonds of kingship is the one who persists in doing so even though the latter has severed the ties of kinship with him.”

– Riyad as-Salihin 322

Riyad as-Salihin is a selection of Hadith (a record of the words, actions, and the silent approval of the prophet Muhammad as transmitted through chains of narrators), in this case, by Imam Yahya bin Sharaf an-Nawawi.

This passage reminds me of how important it is to check in on those we consider family, even when it’s been a while since you’ve spoken.

I think it’s easy to let time pass by and believe that you’ve fallen out of touch with someone who was once close to you.

However, in those moments when a person randomly pops into your head, I think it’s a chance to reach out to let them know you were thinking about them. You never know if a kind word is exactly what that person needs at that moment.

Cherish the connections to others in your life, reach out to a friend or family member, and have a blessed week ahead!

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Marcel Proust, Tigana, The Banshees of Inisherin, Richard Reeves, and a Bhagavad Gita Verse

Marcel Proust, Tigana, The Banshees of Inisherin, Richard Reeves, and a Bhagavad Gita Verse

Published by Drew Alexander Ross on June 25, 2023

Sunday Supplement #111 (June 25th, 2023)

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.

Please take something away from these recommendations that enriches your week ahead!

Quote of the Week:

“Let us be grateful to people who make us happy; they are the charming gardeners who make our souls blossom.”

– Marcel Proust

Book of the Week:

Tigana – Guy Gavriel Kay

Guy Gavriel Kay provides a grand epic of magic, politics, friendship, war, and the power of love and hate in his 600-page fantasy standalone novel.

The book follows the history of a land on a planet orbited by two moons. The story takes place on the Peninsula of the Palm, which like medieval Italy, comprises provinces with a shared culture and language.

Two powerful sorcerers control the land, and one casts a curse over it, which removes the name and history of part of the land from the people’s minds.

Only those born before the curse remember Tigana, and a group of rebels aim to free the land from the grips of the sorcerer.

I’m a huge fantasy genre fan, but I don’t always like to read a series that the genre tends to gear toward. This solo novel offers an excellent and complete story worth checking out.

Movie of the Week:

The Banshees of Inisherin

Martin McDonagh’s The Banshees of Inisherin didn’t do well at the box office but received nine Academy Award nominations.

The film follows two lifelong friends who find themselves at an impasse when one abruptly ends their relationship, with alarming consequences for them both.

Colin Farrell, Brendon Gleeson, Kerry Condon, and Barry Keoghan star in this excellent film that explores the purpose of life, friendship, and critiques the history of Ireland.

The Banshees of Inisherin isn’t a movie you should throw on if you’re looking for a popcorn flick to pass the time.

If you give it a chance, look at the movie’s themes and how they provide us with a story that allows us to reflect on how we live our lives.

Brainfood of the Week:

The Friendship Recession | Richard Reeves | Big Think

Richard Reeves is a British American writer, scholar and Senior Fellow at the Brookings Institution.

In this video, he opens with the comment that some studies suggest that being without a close friend, being lonely, is as bad for your health as smoking 15 cigarettes a day.

Richard Reeves goes on to explain the friendship recession we’re in, the value of friendships, and what we’re losing if we don’t cultivate meaningful friendships.

The video is an intriguing look at how significant a role friendships play in our lives and how one of the hardest things we can admit is that we need a friend.

Big Think is the channel that hosts the video. They are a leading source of expert-driven, actionable, and educational content. Check out their other videos if you liked this one.

Closing Spiritual Passage:

“Let a man lift himself by his own Self alone, and not let him lower himself; for, this Self alone is the friend of oneself, and this Self is the enemy of oneself.”

– Bhagavad Gita 6:5

I’ve picked this verse from the Bhagavad Gita in a post about friendship because I believe we are responsible for cultivating our worlds.

This passage highlights how we can be our own best friend or worst enemy. That doesn’t mean we shouldn’t have friends, but we can be the ones that prevent that from happening.

Friendship is a crucial part of our lives, but it is up to us to cultivate an environment where we allow friendships to flourish.

Sometimes we must work on ourselves first to allow space for those around us to come into our lives.

Be grateful for your friends, nourish those friendships, and have a blessed week ahead!

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Walt Whitman, I Am Legend, The Station Agent, How to Be a Good Friend, and 1 Corinthians 15:33

Walt Whitman, I Am Legend, The Station Agent, How to Be a Good Friend, and 1 Corinthians 15:33

Published by Drew Alexander Ross on July 24, 2022

Sunday Supplement #63 (July 24th, 2022)

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:

“I have learned that to be with those I like is enough.”

– Walt Whitman

Book of the Week:

I Am Legend – Richard Matheson

If what you know about the story of I Am Legend comes from the 2007 film starring Will Smith, you’ve experienced a version that barely takes anything from the source material.

Richard Matheson’s novel follows Robert Neville, possibly the last living man on Earth. However, he is not alone.

A plague swept across the world and turned those it did not kill into vampires. Neville struggles from isolation, depression, and alcoholism in his attempts to stay alive.

Neville alternates between a hunter in the day when the creatures are asleep and a survivor at night, hoping not to be found.

Eventually, Neville determines there must be a scientific reason behind the vampires’ origins and tries to understand the disease.

Matheson’s I Am Legend (1954) is widely acclaimed as one of the most influential works of modern zombie and vampire literature.

The book might not be for everyone, but for those who would take a recommendation from Ray Bradbury and Stephen King, check it out.

Movie of the Week:

The Station Agent

Tom McCarthy (writer of Up, The Visitor, and Spotlight) made his directing and writing debut with The Station Agent.

The film follows Finbar McBride, played by Peter Dinklage, as Finbar’s only friend dies and bequeaths him a piece of rural property with an abandoned train depot on it.

The antisocial train enthusiast moves to the new town, planning to live in solitude but finding himself reluctantly drawn into the lives of his neighbors.

The Station Agent explores depths of emotions in a thoughtful and sometimes quirky manner that makes it a special film.

In addition to Peter Dinklage’s standout performance, Patricia Clarkson and Bobby Cannavale shine in their supporting roles.

The film won the Audience Award for Dramatic Film at Sundance in 2003, made $8 million on a $500k budget, and boasts a 94% critics rating on RottenTomatoes.

Brainfood of the Week:

How to Be a Good Friend | The School of Life

I’ve featured The School of Life in four previous Sunday Supplements. Their channel has over 7 million subscribers and aims to help people lead calmer and more resilient lives.

This video explores the concept of what it means to be a good friend.

The beginning poses that we might not collectively be good at friendship because we don’t have a clear idea of what a good friend might be like.

The School of Life then delves into the areas they think are essential in a good friend.

Some of the areas that are discussed involve vulnerability, genuine interest, support, and questioning.

I think the list may not have what everyone is looking for, but I thought it was an exciting idea to list the attributes of a good friend.

Check out the video if you’d like to see what The School of Life has to say on the subject, and think about what attributes are important to you in friendship.

Closing Spiritual Passage:

“Do not be misled: “Bad company corrupts good character.”

– 1 Corinthians 15:33

There are many passages in the bible about friendship, forgiveness, and kindness. I believe those messages are important.

However, this passage reminds me of the dangers of letting standards slip in relationships.

Quotes like these come to mind— “What you’re not changing your choosing,” and “Be careful what you tolerate. You are teaching people how to treat you.”

I think the core of this Corinthians passage is the idea of losing your way and following someone else.

Sometimes, we can get lost and look to others for guidance and support. However, if those people are not aligned with your morals and ideals, you should look elsewhere.

Friends can be in dark places sometimes, and you can be a light for them. But dimming your light or slipping into the darkness to commiserate can be dangerous.

Make sure you are treating yourself kindly and are in a good place. If you’re not, be careful of who and what you have as influences around you.

Surround yourself with good people and good things, and have a blessed week ahead!

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