“Get busy livin’, or get busy dyin’.”
It’s one of the iconic phrases from the now classic movie, Shawshank Redemption. It is advice shared between inmates, Red and Andy. The first time I saw this movie, I fell in love with it. It’s one of those movies I can have on in the background and I know the best parts to stop and watch. I cry every time I watch it. Every. Single. Time. When Red shows up on that beach in Mexico and sees his friend, both as free men, it gives me chills. It’s also good advice.
I read the newspaper. Religiously. I read it every morning, whether I’m at home or on vacation. It’s a treat for me. I do my daily devotional and then I read the paper. Granted, I read it in a digital format, but I still read it. And I read it in a specific order. It’s become kind of a joke in my group of friends. I’m the 36 year old trapped in a little old lady’s body. I begin with the front page. Whatever is on the front page is important to know, so I start there. Next I read the Forum, a funny little anonymous venting section in our local paper where people will say just about anything, and the rest of the Op-Ed page. This is mostly entertainment value. You can’t read the Forum and take it seriously. I read the editorials because I actually enjoy hearing other people’s opinions on things, even if they’re different from my own. Next I read “Dear Abby.” Even in 2018, she offers good advice and I often find myself fantasizing about what I would write in a letter to Abby. How would I stay anonymous? What would be my sign-off? Once I’m done with Abby I read the Arrest Records and the Obituaries. I am (relatively) young, healthy and active, living a fairly straight laced life, but I read the Arrests and Obits every day. Why? Because my grandma told me to. No, really. She did.
If you don’t believe me, you should meet my Granny Laughter. If you don’t know her, you’re missing out. Once you met her you would know that not much surprises you about what she says or does. She’s the only grandma I know that took belly dancing lessons, as a grandma! She’s the only grandma I know that has pictures of her tattoos because we kept begging her to stop showing them to everyone. She’s the only grandma I know that would take me to get my ears pierced and let me watch Dirty Dancing all in the same week and all against my parents’ wishes. She is awesome! And she’s the only grandma I know that reads the obituaries first every day.
When I was very young, maybe 6 or 7, Granny told me she reads the arrests and obituaries every morning. When I asked her why, she had a simple answer: “If I don’t see my name in either one, then I know it’s time to get up and get moving.” What good advice! If I haven’t been arrested, then I still have my freedom. Freedom to choose where to go today, what to do, how I am going to respond to other people. Freedom to eat what I want, spend time with the people I want to spend time with, and love the people around me. So, each morning, if I don’t see myself in the arrest records, it’s already a good day. Then the obituaries. If I’m not in there, then I’m still alive. Alive to enjoy that freedom. Alive to take advantage of another beautiful day. Alive to love on the people around me. It may seem depressing at first, but it’s actually a really positive way to start each day. It’s a reminder that being free isn’t guaranteed to everyone and being alive isn’t guaranteed to anyone. If I can do those two things each morning, I’m already ahead of the pack.
So, as much as I love Shawshank Redemption, I had heard this advice long before the movie was released. My Granny taught me at a tender age to “get busy living” and it’s something I try to remember every day.
