Serious content alert, again.  No, it’s not that I am in any sort of “funk”, merely a case of timing with an individual who was going through some issues that bring certain things to mind. The movie, “The Legend of Bagger Vance” is a period piece starring Will Smith, Matt Damon, Charlize Theron, and several great supporting cast members. The movie takes place in Depression-era Savannah and revolves around a special golf match that is engineered to bring joy and an economic boost to the people of Savannah. Will Smith plays the role of Bagger Vance, a mysterious man that appears and offers to caddy for Captain Junuh, a WWI veteran who has withdrawn due to the stress he endured during the war. Despite his doubts, he has been coaxed to play in the tournament by Adele, the woman who loved him and has never understood why he turned his back on everyone. The essence of the movie is whether or not Junuh can regain his life while also winning the tournament as the pride of Savannah.

There are some truly funny scenes as well as some poignant ones and in a moment when Bagger allows Junuh to vent his intense frustration, he then calmly explains that part of the problem is that Junuh was expecting somehow for his former self to emerge whole. “You aren’t that person anymore,” he says (more or less), “and you ain’t ever going to be again.” There are times in our lives when we experience something that is indeed life altering, something so profound that it changes us to a significant degree. For this individual that I know, it was dismissal from a job and the subsequent inability to find a job in the same field. Not surprisingly, that was emotionally traumatic and it has taken months for the individual to understand that. It is not an easy idea to come to grips with and as I provided as much of a shoulder as I could, that scene from the movie played in my head. I did not use the quotation exactly, although I tried to convey the concept of perhaps looking at a new direction for one’s life. In seeing the individual over the holidays, things seem to be better even though we didn’t have the opportunity to speak in much detail. There were hugs, kisses, and murmurs thanking me for the support I had provided and I hope that means the most difficult times have passed.