Journaling project, Day 4

Peace does not mean to be in a place where there is no chaos, trouble, or hard realities to deal with. Peace means to be in the midst of all those things and still remain mentally, emotionally, and physically centered.

What’s something small that always brings you peace when you think about it? Why?

This is both an easy and a hard prompt. I don't think of "things" generally when I'm seeking inner peace. Usually my practice is just to let my mind wander where it will, note things that come up, and not dwell on anything. Very much a "thought as river flowing through me" metaphor. So it's hard for me to say "something would "always bring me peace" simply by calling it to mind.

The flip side of that is that I have spent time surrounding myself with things that I like and enjoy. I have a puppy and artwork and games and books, in all their forms. Maybe of all of them it'd be "music" because I listen to a lot of music and it has strong effects on my moods.

I know that there are people who have special "things" - talismans of a sort - I'm just not one of them.

I saw Incredibles II and it was fun but not outstanding

The core question of movie is nothing to do with its plot or characters. It's "given that it took 14 years to make; is it really new and revolutionary?" To which, sadly, the answer is "no". It's not bad in any way, and the state of animation art has advanced enough that at several places I thought to myself "wow, that's realistic" despite the obvious 'jetsons' aesthetic. But the fact that I'm stopping to notice the quality of the animation is an indication of just how much room there was for my attention to wander. 3/5 stars would probably watch again but don't feel compelled.

The movie telegraphs pretty much everything so everyone over the age of 12 will know what's going to happen if they care to pay attention. That's not necessarily bad, but it further disengages (at least the adult) viewer. As a sequel it can't rest of the "this is new and different" that powered so much of the first movie.

That said, I liked how the film balanced the superhero bits with the family segments and yay more Edna. Everyone gets decent screen time, including Frozone, and they pull together a cast of other "supers" that likely have sequel potential. All good fun but nothing ground-breaking and no, sorry Sam Jackson, not worth 14 years' wait.

The movie is showing with an unrelated animated short beforehand that is well done and... a little disturbing.