Jackassalope

The “Harvey” in All of Us

1950s “Harvey” starring Jimmy Stewart is the perfect movie to watch when life seems like it’s a little too much to handle. Innocent enough to put a smile on your face and engaging enough to keep it there, this movie struck a chord with me on a day where I lay on the couch exhausted, stressed, and empty.

"In this world, you must be oh so smart or oh so pleasant. Well, for years I was smart. I recommend pleasant. And you may quote me," are the words Stewart’s character shares as he is being admitted into a psychiatric ward with a smile on his face. Although it seems like he is naive to the situation, there’s a truth in his eyes that speak otherwise.

It sounds simple enough. Sometimes it’s easy to say that life just isn’t that simple. It gets hard, it kicks dirt in your face, and it pushes you to the ground. This can be true. Trust me, I’ve done my fare share of washing the grit out of my teeth. But does that mean that life isn’t simple? No.

You always have a choice. Every decision you make, there was an opposite decision that was neglected and ignored. Every day offers you a fork in the road. The beauty of it all is that you can always turn around and go back the other way. The choice is yours. Your decisions don’t have to be easy, but they are always simple. I can smile, or I can frown. I can laugh, or I can pout. I can be difficult, or I can be pleasant.

I may not have wrestled with reality for all of my 27 years, but I think it is time I try harder to win out over it. It doesn’t take a 6-foot-3-inch white rabbit to make that happen. It just means I have to start making the right choice. I don’t always have to be oh so smart. Sometimes pleasant will do just fine.