Sunday Supplement #71 (September 18th, 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:
“Never, ever underestimate the importance of having fun.”
– Randy Pausch
Book of the Week:
The Chronicles of Narnia – C.S. Lewis
C.S. Lewis’s classic children’s series, The Chronicles of Narnia, has sold over 100 million copies in over 45 languages.
The series contains seven novels that delve into the magical realm of Narnia, where magic, mythical beasts, and talking animals roam.
C.S. Lewis initially had a photo of a fawn in his head at 16, which eventually developed into the world of Narnia.
Narnia has its own history, which throughout the series is added to by humans from our world traveling there by magical means.
The order of the series is debated, but I started with The Magician’s Nephew. You can look up the different orders for suggested reading and decide for yourself.
I didn’t read the series until my late 20s. The books might be classified as children’s novels, but the adventures and themes were something I feel everyone can enjoy.
Movie of the Week:
The detective murder mystery is making a comeback in Cinema with the likes of Knives Out and the Hercule Poirot remakes.
However, most of these modern movies fall short through poor writing and sometimes conceited self-awareness.
In Hot Fuzz, a skilled London police officer irritates his superiors with his embarrassing effectiveness and is transferred to a simple English village.
The officer’s fervor for regulations rubs against the easygoing villagers’ lifestyles even when a string of grisly murders occurs.
Edgar Wright and Simon Pegg’s Hot Fuzz is an action comedy grounded in a detective murder mystery that is better than most recent films taking a serious stab at the genre.
Hot Fuzz’s genius comes from treating the audience as intelligent viewers and crafting a well-written murder mystery. It is well worth checking out.
Brainfood of the Week:
Why Having Fun is the Secret to a Healthier Life | Catherine Price | TED Talks
In this video, science journalist Catherine Price discusses what it means to have fun and shares ways to weave playfulness, flow, and connection into your life.
Price opens her talk by discussing how we often pack our schedules and find ourselves languishing in our free time, which leads to more of the former.
She points out how we can often use the word “fun” to describe things that we do in our leisure time but aren’t actually fun or good for us.
Fun is often attributed to a childlike demeanor or a fanciful experience. Price argues how this definition is wrong and belittles what fun can be.
In the next portion of the video, Price describes how fun should be viewed as a feeling and not an activity.
The latter half of the video delves into Price’s prescription of playfulness, flow, and connection as true fun and how you can incorporate more into your life.
Closing Spiritual Passage:
“Between true friends, even water drunk together is sweet enough.”
– African Proverb
This African proverb reminds me of the joy one can experience when connecting with another human being.
I think back, especially to times in college, when a prevailing attitude was that alcohol or other substances were necessary for good times.
While fun times can be had during times of intoxication, I think it’s a mistake to believe that intoxication or other outside factors are a requirement for good times.
I believe a good indicator of whether or not something is worth pursuing is when you can be entirely absorbed by the function and be happy.
Some of my favorite times are having engaging discussions or finding myself engaged in an activity that brings me joy.
The African proverb reminds me that those moments are sweet enough.
Recognize the moments that bring you unaided joy, and have a blessed week ahead!
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