I went to see "Avatar" over the weekend to see what all the hype was about and "Pandora" was a beautiful place to "visit" with 3D glasses on.....but I think there are parts of our planet that are just as beautiful, if you are attentive.
In an interesting article titled "The Avatar Effect," by Jacob Osterhout, he states, Sometimes a movie is more than just a movie. Sometimes a movie is so large in scale, so impressive in scope, so ahead of its time, that it becomes a cultural phenomenon. So it is with "Avatar", James Cameron's latest big budget blockbuster, for which he spent a sum nearly the size of Samoa's gross national product to make. Love it or hate it, the movie cannot be ignored. That's why I had to see it. The cinematography was amazing, the natural beauty of "Pandora," was other- worldly but the plot was very familiar to me. We've heard that story before.....unfortunately.
What I found fascinating, is something that my son told me about regarding the movie, that surprised me. Apparently, some fans of "Avatar" better known as "Avatards" "have become so immersed in the movie that they suffer from withdrawal when it ends. People actually get depressed after seeing the movie, some are even suicidal after seeing the film, "due to a longing for the beauty of the fictional planet Pandora." If someone feels "suicidal" definitely seek help, say your prayers and then I suggest you plan a trip to the Grand Canyon National Park, it's natural beauty rivals anything on Pandora, or Niagara Falls or Kauai, Hi. The Swiss Alps were majestic the last time I saw them. But closer to home I'm pretty awe-struck when I walk on any one of the East Coast beaches, they are beautiful too. And I find the Catskill Mountain range pretty "Pandoraesque."
There is so much beauty on our own planet, no need to be depressed. As a matter of fact, I'm going to get dressed in winter gear and head outside to clean the snow off my car, even though it's still snowing. I promised my husband I would at least help him with that part of the clean-up. By the way, there are a number of studies which show that people who spend time walking in the sunshine, spending time outside in a natural environment are less depressed and anxious. For all the "Avatards" out there, I suggest you start enjoying Planet Earth. It's a pretty impressive creation. Thanks be to God!
NJA
