In all my 27 years, I have wanted a few different jobs.
At age 3 or 4, apparently I wanted to be a bus driver. And as long as I’ve been able to hold a pen and/or paper, I’ve wanted to be a writer.
Except for that span of time when I was in love with the movie “Free Willy.”
Yep. That movie, as some of you may know, almost changed my life.
I don’t know what it was about it. I’m a softie. (In other obvious news, the sky is blue.) I also will love any movie with an animal – no matter how wild – that ends up forming a bond with a character and somehow saves it.
Case in point: After seeing “Water for Elephants” I would like to have a pet elephant. I could totally keep it in the courtyard of my apartment complex. They’ll have to start stocking bigger pet poop bags though…
But seriously. Free Willy was among the many movies of my childhood I could watch over and over and over and over again. Other than that? Had to have Devon Sawa or JTT in it.
That movie made me want to be a marine biologist. It was a job idea that stuck for a little bit until I realized how much I suck at anything science-related. I think mainly I wanted to do what Jesse did in the movie – minus the vandalism. You know, feed fish to the animals and teach them tricks.
And then there was that song from the movie. You know the one: “Will You Be There” by Michael Jackson.
That song and that movie… I’m telling you…if I were any good at science you might not be reading this blog right now.
Thank God I’m not, right?
But seriously. When Michael Jackson died, they played all of his songs on the radio that week that followed. We were in Myrtle Beach at the time on vacation and had it – and/or VH1 on a lot, because they were doing a tribute. The ONLY song I wanted to hear and they seemed to be refusing to play was “The Free Willy Song” as I knew it when I was younger.
Finally, about three or four days into vacation we heard it.
And I thought about that movie. And how Willy jumps over the rocks into the ocean to be with his family and…
Just watch the video. I’m gonna go research rules on pet elephant ownership in a suburban apartment. And maybe watch the movie. ‘Cause you know I’ve got it on DVD. And VHS. What.
On account of... 