Yes, I watched the TV special on the world’s best movies.  Movies are a great hobby of mine.  I love “story” and I think that some of the best storytellers are movie makers. 

While those of us who are limited to the spoken or written word, the storytellers of cinema have sight and sound options that the rest of us can only try and mimic with our limitations.  So many watch movies that we who tell stories with words only can actually refer to a well done movie and count on the fact that many in our audiences have seen the flick and draw up images to illustrate our point.

The silver screen is an amazing media conduit.  It is supported by a complete industry of creative minds.  Of course the brilliant lives of those who put it all together ooze with talent as well.  Like a genius conductor of a philharmonic, the producers and directors manage the talent, budget, personalities and see something that most of us cannot.

I am not too interested in the glitz.  Curiosity at times allow me to glance at the actors but my real interest is in the Best Movie award.  Long ago I learned that the best individual awards don’t always match the movies that I enjoy watching.

This year was a good illustration of that basic principle.  Slumdog Millionaire was a fabulous movie.  It captured my heart, mind and imagination. 

When the award was announced, I was already sound asleep.  It was one of the first items of news that I picked up the next morning.  There was nothing that I had contributed to its making or its success, but I smiled when I heard the news. 

Reflecting over the film, I loved the good fortune that came to the star.  An entire nation celebrated with him.  Our world needs that kind of delight.  Humor, horror, happiness all mixed into one improbable story that the world has now permanently recognized as one of the best movies ever made.

There are more important riches than money.  We all know that.  It’s just that money gets in the way of us embracing that reality.

Love trumps finances every time.  Perhaps with the economic ills of the world today this movie will make us all feel better, live better, and love better.   It is a very good story, a very good movie, an even better reminder of what is true.