you have a choice

I just the movie The Blinde Side yesterday with my primas (girl cousins) and let me tell you...it was AMAZING!! I knew it was going to be good only because Sandra Bullock is in it, but i didn't think it would be this good. It is a little long, but the storyline is pretty good. The directing is great and the acting is phenomenal. It's not the feel good movie of the year, it's more the inspirational story of the year. A lot of people might think it's inspirtational because of Michael Oher, but I see it inspirational becasue of what Sandra Bullock's character did. This movie is based on a true story, and according to my research (because of course I wikied the true story), the movie is pretty accurate.
Sandra's character Leigh Anne Tuohy took in Michael as her own when she saw he had no home or anyone to go to. She saw potential in him when no one else saw it. She considers him her son and officially adopted him from the state. This wasn't her only act of charity though; she's known for raising funds for various unknown charities and projects. Yes, she's wealthy and that faciliates a lot of what she was able to give Michael and others, but regardless of money, she's still pretty amazing.
In school do you remember when they used to ask you who your role models were? Well, I used to always answer Harriett Tubman because she would risk her life and freedom over and over again to save the other slaves. That takes a lot out of someone's own courage to do. Or, how Michael says in the movie, "Any fool can have courage, it's honor what's important." He has a point, it's honor for yourself. Well, Harriett Tubman used to be my role model and I used to ask myself if what I'm doing is similar to What Ms. Tubam would do. I will always look up to that woman, but now I think my new role model is Leigh Ann Tuohy. It took a lot of courage to take in a black man into her home. I'm not being racist; I'm being realistic. She probabaly got made fun, her action was probably frowned upon. I'm sure her kids were being made fun, and I'm almost positive people thought Michael was having sex with her daughter, Collins. Because of course who doesn't want to tap some white girl's booty? Anyways, it took courage and honor on Leigh Ann's part to take him in without a thought, and only because he needed someone to believe him in.
She didn't sympathsize with him, but empathized. She didn't let him develop learned helplessness. She let him understand that he could do what he set out. He had a choice. You always have a choice regardless of your situation. For example, I got pregnant out of wedlock within my first year of college. Instead of both my hubby and I dropping out of college and getting a mundane job, we stayed. We're furthering our education because we know that, that is what's best for daughter and us in the long run. I had the choice to stop college, but i chose not to. I never felt sorry for myself for having her young. Everyone has a choice.
I don't want to turn this blog into giving advice and what not, but listen to this and pay attention to this movie. If you don't like ti watch movies you can read the book by Michael Lewis called The Blinde Side: Evolution of a Game. Remember, there's ALWAYS a choice. Even when you think there isn't, there is.
Have a happy saturday!