View from the Cheap Seats

September 26 - October 2, 2016

Reruns

By William O. "Bill" James

I have always liked watching movies I have seen before. In fact, if you ask Patti, she will tell you that I would rather re-watch a movie than one I have never seen. There may be more than one reason for my preference for things I have already seen. The main reason I attribute to my preference for reruns is that I tend to fall asleep while I watch movies. Falling asleep in a movie can make it hard to understand or even follow. In fact, it has actually been a couple of years since I have been to a movie theatre because of my constant falling asleep. I don’t think I have narcolepsy, but when I become engaged in a movie I sleep very quickly. The best part of re-watching a movie is that, If I have seen the movie before, I know what is going on when I wake up.

My preference for reruns is not all good. My ability to watch the same movie over and over again takes away valuable time that I would have to watch new movies or even do something else. I do find it relaxing watching something that I have seen before, but what am I missing by wasting all of that time? Even though it is relaxing, I am neither learning or experiencing anything new. Even if watching again and again helps me sleep, maybe I would actually sleep better without the television on.

There are a lot of us out there that spend a lot of time doing things over and over that neither add to our lives nor do they add anything to the lives of the people around us. Why do we do that? Why do we live in the past or simply spin our wheels here in the present because it is comfortable and easy? We all have a certain level of responsibility that prevents us from doing all that we want, but how much more could we do if we set our sights on new discoveries and adventures? How much are we missing out on because we are stuck in the same rut day after day, and year after year?

I love tradition and doing things on an annual basis. The problem with getting older is those traditions often become too numerous and take up way too much time. If we are not careful, we are on the same annual merry-go-round doing the same things year after year without any time for anything new. Like a wise man once told me: The only difference between a coffin and a rut is two ends. The saying is a little gitchy and, with a little contemplation, it rings true. Life is always offering us choices; it is when we quit choosing that it becomes boring.

You can’t experience all that life has to offer, but you can certainly see a lot more of it when you push away from doing the same old thing and broaden your horizons. Spreading your wings in search of new experiences will not always net you the time of your life. It is certain that the new adventures you undertake may not live up to the tried and true year after year events, but often you will find that missing the “reruns” was not as bad as you thought it would be and the new experiences are well worth the change.

As we head into the fall and the holiday season, start looking for new ways to experience this special time of year. Seek out new ways to spend time with the ones you love without resorting to the same old tired experiences. Don’t be afraid to try something you have never done before and accept that the regular events or experiences you miss trying something new this year, may seem all the sweeter next year if you decide to go back to the norm.

The irony is, as I wrote this, I watched the movie Casablanca because I tried to watch something I had not seen before and I found myself unable to concentrate on the column. There is nothing wrong with enjoying the oldies but goodies, but it is important to remember there is a time for everything and that includes things that are new. That is good advice for anyone, especially those of us way up in the CHEAP SEATS!

Bill James is a criminal defense lawyer and co founder of the James Law Firm with offices in Little Rock, Conway, and Fayetteville, Arkansas. He may be contacted at Bill@JamesFirm.com