thoughts on I am Legend

Has anyone watched I am Legend? Wow. Zombie movies aren’t usually on my radar, but this one took me by surprise. Besides being scientifically interesting and on-the-edge-of-your-seat exciting, I found some deeper insights hidden in the folds of the story.

I could totally identify with Will Smith’s character in the aspect of loneliness. He’s the last man on earth alive (or is he?) with only his dog to keep him company. His interactions with Sam seem more on the level with a child than a pet, telling the dog to eat her vegetables. To keep himself from going crazy, he sets up a video store with mannequins with whom he “interacts” when he “rents” a DVD. He needs this type of normalcy in his life to keep him from going batty, I suppose. When he does finally get in contact with other humans, the woman observes “you’re not very good with people anymore.” I really felt for the guy, knowing that people keep me sane. The word “community” has been overused by Christians lately and that’s really too bad because the meaning of the word seems to have been lost for me. Maybe I’ve heard it a lot because of the emphasis of living with others in college.

The truth is that I need people (community) in my life or I get a little strange. Okay, I'm a little strange with people too, but at least we can all be strange together. All of the strangeness together seems to counteract and balance us all out somehow. Whatever. I guess in the end, I'm realizing how precious relationships are to me and am trying to treasure the people in my life more. Building friendships in Japan is hard, so I have to be thankful for what I can get.