Would ya look at that...

                Huh, it’s February already. More and more I am amazed at how fast time seems to pass. I remember whining in elementary school about having to wait for something for five minutes and now I just laugh. Five minutes is nothing to a busy college student/ working adult.

                Since it is now February that means that I have less than two months before my birthday. I will officially step out of the teenager skin and become a true adult. It’s weird to think of that. So much has happened over the last year. So much has happened over the last two months really.

                I have a favorite movie.  Now, this isn’t really that interesting or even that uncommon. What may surprise you, however, is what movie is my favorite is. Most people would automatically assume that my favorite movie is one of the Star Wars films. This is a common misconception (don’t I sound all business-like) though. While I adore Star Wars and it is definitely my favorite franchise, I do, in fact, have a different movie as my favorite. What is it you ask? (Or at least, I imagine you are asking. For all I know you don’t even care. But, if you don’t care, why are you reading this now?)

                The Count of Monte Cristo is my favorite movie of all time. It is the story of love, betrayal and, overall, the  redemption one can feel. While it is mostly a tale of Edmond Dantes’ vengeance on those who wronged him, it touches heavily on the emptiness one can be left with when their goal in life is to harm others.

                It also has a ton of great quotes. One of those quotes I have burned into my memory. I’ve used it as a monologue during an audition for a play (I didn’t get the part) and I’ve used it as the opening to a speech (that was actually really fun). I’ve even used it as my Facebook status multiple times. Here it is, with a few changes and embellishments by yours truly. (If I quoted it word for word it would make less sense. It is meant as a birthday toast to young Albert)

“Life is a storm. You will bask in sunlight one moment and be dashed on the rocks the next. What matters most is what you do when that storm comes. You must look into that gale and shout, ‘Do your worst! For I will do mine!’ Only then will the world be able to see you for who you really are.”

                I find that so moving. That’s what I’ve been thinking about a lot recently because it happens to me often. I will be fine and then I will see something or think of something and demons from the past will come back to haunt me. But, I know that that’s just life. Life is hard sometimes, but, if you can’t handle the bad, I don’t think you deserve the good.