It matters even more

Michael J Fox was delivering that line, in Red Box re-release of De Palma’s Casualties of War.

If we found ourselves living on the edge, it matters even more that we act decently.

The role was well-cast. Fox often played moralist role (Family Ties) who got to say the last word.

The film could have been a rework of “I know what you did last summer”.

Wonder about the timing of this re-release (without 3-D or Blu Ray version).

People communicate in choppy numerics e.g. “number 1”, “number 10″.

No Google translation app back then.

I like the local trade: mango for Hershey bar.

If you put together this film and Good Morning Vietnam with Robin Williams, then you get the gist of what it was like between 65-73 in country:

buffalo working the lush green field interrupted by sudden and certain death.

Young girls may find their baths interrupted by napalm thus find the need to rush down the National highway naked (hysterically to survive and willingly turn UN Good Will Ambassador).

Maybe it matters even more when are close to that ragged edge. Then we will surprise even ourselves with empathy. ” Do I remind you of someone,” the stranger on the train asked. No, it’s just a “Deja Vu”. Fox was just trying to process through the five stages of grief. It takes as much energy to act decent as bad. But in Fox’s case, it’s a rung on the virtuous cycle that slowly breaks the spell (at this edit, a moving Memorial Wall is still stirring penned up emotions on this side of the Pacific).

That way, our theme song can then be “What a wonderful world” mixed in with chopper sound track for the end credits to roll. What war that did not come with casualties!