"A Hill of Beans"

Bear with me at first, this all has a point. A popular movie from the 1970’s starring Robert Redford was “Jeremiah Johnson”. This movie was based on a real frontier man of the same name. Jeremiah tries to live in civilized society only to find it’s pretty complicated and messy. So he heads out alone into the mountains. He becomes the ultimate mountain man wandering around looking for his next meal, living in a rudely constructed cabin and fighting (alone) Indians and animals. Redford portrays Jeremiah Johnson as being the last of the romantic, noble-man. Looks fun on the screen but it doesn't translate well to real life.

The second classic movie I want to address is the 1943 film “Casablanca” starring Humphrey Bogart. This movie tells the fictional story of a man, Monsieur Rick Blaine, who is on the lam from the United States for reasons deliberately not made clear. Rick comes to Casablanca and establishes Rick’s Café, a place where a person can get a drink, some great piano playing and maybe work a side deal in black market items. Since the Nazi’s have moved into Casablanca, what most people deal for are exit visas.

Rick is a loner and prides himself on staying out of other people’s business. He says, “I stick my neck out for no one”. Yet at the end of the movie he does stick his neck out for several people and even for the French underground. He plays tough but is sentimental at heart. The final (and iconic) airport scene is so great because 3 people that could be in it just for them end up sticking their necks out for each other.  Rick gives up his seat on the plane to the love of his life Elsa so she can go and be a part of her husband Victor’s cause. Elsa was willing to give up her seat, stay in Casablanca with Rick who she still loves and doesn't want to abandon again. The Police Chief covers for Rick’s killing of the Nazi, Major Strasser, even though that will cost him his cushy job and he’ll have to leave town. Rick’s famous line was, “it doesn't take much to see that the lives of 3 ordinary people don’t add up to a hill of beans in this crazy world”. But when the movie is over everyone watching the movie knows that it’s exactly the opposite of what Rick said. The lives of 3 ordinary people mattered very much.

“Jeremiah Johnson” for all its romance and adventure still has at its core isolation from society. If you look past the stoic “noble man” concept what you have is this: that if you go it alone in life you can end up lost and/or left behind. “Casablanca” shows us that when we look out for others it affirms both us and them. In short, when you do for others you benefit yourself and others at the same time.

As we go forward with our lives, we need to accept the kindnesses of friends and family and accept the help of strangers. In return, we need to offer kindnesses and help to others.  You, me and the people we know in our lives matter a  lot, we all add up to much more than a hill of beans in this crazy world.