So, while writing this, I literally just left the cinemas after watching another action packed and intense installment to the Fast & Furious franchise.
This, once again, lived up to the hype, as well as it delivering on a story seamlessly that outside of it, had one of the main and beloved characters (Brian O’Connor aka Paul Walker) pass away before them being able to finish filming just half of his intended scenes.
They did a great job at rewriting the story, using his real life brothers to jump in as doubles, utilizing the power of special effects, and giving the actor a deserving send off. And yes, it was definitely quite sad, too.
‘The show must go on’, some would say, but there’s no doubt that for all involved in the movie – along with the family and friends of Paul Walker’s circle – it would’ve been a challenging task to pull things together and continue the show to put out the much-awaited episode in the series.
When the first movie came out way back in 2001, I was literally 12 years old, and (obviously) loved every minute of watching that hotted-up car, street racing scene film.
Come to think of it, I was probably influenced by this (along with Need for Speed: Underground) somewhere along the line to make my first car purchase as none other, than a sexy, black, turbo R33 Skyline.
It’s a funny thing that when you grow up (or old) with artists, actors, people that you watch in the media, even though you never actually meet them or know them personally, you still feel like you do.
Maybe it’s just the character that you “know” and like, but when those people’s death happens, it still can feel like someone that you knew personally.
And when people like Paul Walker, Robin Williams, Michael Jackson, Heath Ledger, and even Richie Benaud recently, pass away, even though you don’t know them, even though you might not have even followed them completely, you still feel like you kinda have some sort of relationship with them.
Whilst of course death is one thing in life that you can always be certain will happen, it still doesn’t make it any easier when its presence is in and around your life – despite who the person was and how they’re related to you.
To some people, these deaths don’t always seem like much, but with the amount of people that do mourn them when they pass, it goes to show how much of an effect celebrities and such can actually have on people.
No matter your relation to anyone that you hear about passing away, death is, no doubt, always a reality check.
A quarter mile at a time.
The infamous quote that comes from the Fast & Furious franchise ‘I live my life a quarter mile at a time’ rings true to so many things in our lives.
Living your life at a fast pace, constantly pushing the limits, and hustling for your dreams is of course a good thing. But living your life a quarter mile at a time can also be seen as a metaphor for taking it all in; being present and appreciative of every moment you get to live through and participate in during your few short orbits around our sun.
Life is indeed always happening so fast around us, we rarely take the time to pause and savour the moments.
Something, I believe, we should do more often.