Credit: Paramount Pictures
In the opening dialogue of the movie Forrest Gump, Forrest starts a conversation with a woman in a nurse’s uniform as she exits the bus and sits down on the bench next to Forrest. He is mostly talking to himself, although she pretends to politely listen as she attempts to read her magazine.
Forrest says, “Those must be comfortable shoes. I’ll bet you could walk all day in shoes like that and not feel a thing. I wish I had shoes like that.”
The nurse retorts, “My feet hurt.”
Unflustered by the curt remark, Forrest continues, “Momma always says there’s an awful lot you could tell about a person by their shoes. Where they’re going. Where they’ve been.”
The woman stares at Forrest as he looks down at his own shoes.
He continues, “I’ve worn lots of shoes. I bet if I think about it real hard I could remember my first pair of shoes.”
The brilliance of this opening scene is that shoes are analogous to the different roles we play in life. The scene sets the stage for the many roles Forrest will play in his life. The movie is about to reveal those roles played, and the different shoes worn, by Forrest.
How many shoes have you worn in your life?
- Newborn
- Child
- Son … Daughter
- Sister … Brother
- Grandson … Granddaughter
- Student … Graduate
- Friend … Best Friend
- Boy Friend … Girl Friend
- Employee … Co-Worker
- Husband … Wife
And as we grow, mature and age … the shoe tends to move to the other foot.
- Friend … Lover
- Teacher
- Father … Mother
- Boss
- Leader … Mentor
- Grandparent
- Wise Man … Wise Woman
How many different pairs of shoes have you worn?
Which shoes have worn really well?
Which shoes never seemed to fit?
What shoes are you still wearing that need to be discarded?
Next Blog Title: Accepting Without Complaint
Next Blog Date: April 11, 2011