What Is Humility?

It's easy to say humility is the opposite of arrogance but not very useful or illuminating. Suffice it to say that a man who has struggled with the concept for years (me) knows a little about it.

If I believe my childhood 'ememies' (the rich children in my neighborhood who thrived on taunting and teasing me), then I should call myself "loser" and be done with it. But what about my wife and son? What will they think of me if I do that? It's not fair to them to let them follow a loser around for the rest of their lives.

If there was any modern movie just out today in theaters which exemplifies my life to any degree, it would be Dragonball Evolution: only fight when you need in self-defense - and - believe in yourself.

What better message could we give young people today or for that matter - any generation?

I don't want to ruin the plot but there's a scene where a rich kid is attempting to beat up on the poor kid and he turns it around by getting the rich kid to take his frustration out on a loved possession .. Think about this. We love our possessions. It's insane. If we live like this, we are doomed as a race - doomed as a race.

The movie continues to 'fight for justice' (by showing what a 'loser' can do when he disciplines himself). It's a perfect movie for me and a perfect movie for any generation of young people who sense there is something wrong with worshiping things. Things. Did anyone ever watch The Ten Commandments with Charlton Heston? Remember the golden calf? Maybe you get my drift..

Okay, I'm obviously a product of my generation's media: Star Trek, Kung Fu,.. but so much more. I took the best of the values portrayed in those series (and movies) and tried to live them. What's my favorite quote from Kung Fu? "Be humble - like the dust." or "A Shaolin priest walks with his head bowed." I know it sounds insane to build your values from TV series and old movies but.. For a generation raised on TV, I think - what better can we do?

How many generations were/are raised by 'the boob tube' as my mother so 'affectionately' called it? It saps our brains and lives. Turn it off. Be with family.

Get what you can - like I tried .. But don't let it ruin/dominate your lives.

I love humanity because we are so frail and precious at the same time. So endearing and .. Words escape me momentarily. I love to sit in a theater and share a movie with other moviegoers. It's like for a few moments, we're family enjoying a thing together. Strangers but at the same time - family. Okay .. I should clarify myself about media: to me, movies are an art form .. While TV commercialism is largely smegma.

This Easter Sunday, I cannot be with my family (they live in Thailand and Florida). But my other family will meet me in a theater to watch Dragonball Evolution a second time. And we will love it.

What is humility? Discover it for yourself. What better way to live fully and enjoy your life.. Or, watch Dragonball with me.. ;)