You live and you learn, and sometimes you watch.

I realize that most of my posts are just ramblings of a madman, completely disorganized and indirect. I also realize that life presents itself that way.

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The entertainment industry has a very practical purpose. I don't just mean to give stress relief or whatever. Really, it lets us experience life as perceived by other people in a very direct manner, and it lets us do it from the comfort of own homes (or theaters). It often gives us insight into experience we never would have a path to in our actual lives. The most important aspect of this? It lets us sit back and see things from the other person's point of view. We learn to be able to say, "Okay, I see where you're coming from." Regardless of right or wrong, it lets us see how people do what they do. Whether or not we agree with their actions and beliefs, we come to learn something important: empathy.

Driving down the Garden State Parkway, yelling at those idiotic drivers ahead of me, I often stop myself. I mean, they have to have some reason, right? How often do you do that? The problem's all about everyone's own free will. If we learn to stop ourselves and try to understand each other better, I'm sure we'll be less angry and more forgiving. At best, we make a positive impact on others, and spare ourselves unnecessary anguish in the process. At the least, we can hope to catch a break ourselves in the future.

Sometimes, people need to hear things from a specific person, at a specific place and time, in a specific way, to really get the message. After all, haven't we all been there? How many times have your parents told you one thing, only to find out 40-something odd years later that you understand. Even if you don't agree, and even if you do things differently, you at least understand.

A friend of mine gets really angry at people in general. He says people are dumb. I agree. He says they don't think. I agree. He wonders why they can't just be logical and wake up, and think for themselves. I don't. And the reason he's angry, is because he really cares. It's sort of counter-intuitive, but he would've made his peace long ago if he didn't really care. He'd be cynical and pessimistic and would take what he could, regardless of others. He's not like that. He's angry because he wants others to live better. In turn, that allows him to live better. The problem is, people don't get things like that right away. Some people need to hear it differently. I did, too. I used to be angry, too.

The beauty is there. And that's where our lovely system of movies, television shows, blogs, and weblogs all come in handy. We get to see things from others' perspectives. And it doesn't matter that we think they're stupid for not seeing something right in front of their faces, or that we cry and laugh right along with them. We don't need to agree. It's not about the result, it's about the process. As my pal Gerald (from Hey Arnold!) said once, "The journey's more than the destination, man." (It was from Downtown as Fruits, btw. What ever happened to great TV?) We have to learn to live life, and part of it is learning to live with others. Or, at least, trying to see where they come from.

I still hate soap operas and reality shows. But, I take comfort in the fact that somewhere out there, someone is learning a lesson from the stupidity of another.