Of éclairs and epiphanies

A few years ago, I traded Sigmund Freud’s theories for Wolfgang Puck and a wire whisk. It was not really a popular decision. People thought I lost my mind giving up a promising young career in psychology for an uncertain future in the culinary arts, making éclairs instead of psychological profiles. I had an "epiphany" and a void inside me was suddenly being filled up. For the first time in a long while I felt a surge of happiness, and then something happened. Reality struck.

An "epiphany" is also what jumpstarts my favorite movie, Jerry Maguire. Played by Tom Cruise, Maguire is at the top of his game; he is a slick, fast-talking sports agent who is as sharp in his wheeling and dealing as he is charming. Everything seems smooth until he is confronted by one of his often injured client’s children. From then on, he develops a conscience and remembers all his ideals when he was just starting in the business. He rides this sudden "moral thunderclap" and writes what he calls a "mission statement" aptly titled "The things we think, but do not say," a collage of the moral obligations of a sports agent. He sends this to each of his co-workers. And after that – you guessed it – reality strikes back and it strikes hard. Maguire gets fired, loses his fiancée and all but one of his clients. All he is left with is a loud-mouthed, undersized football running back in Rod Tidwell (Cuba Gooding Jr.) and an accountant, Dorothy Boyd (Renee Zellweger), a single parent who is unmistakably enamored with Jerry’s charms.

When I thought about changing my career path, Jerry Maguire served as my "comfort movie" (others have comfort food, I have a comfort movie). In a way, it prepared me for the journey I was about to undertake. There were no assurances of success. There would be pitfalls. Slivers of happiness might come, but they may arrive too far in-between or there may be none at all. But at least I had no what-ifs. I was following my heart; I was doing something I loved.

The movie presents itself in shades of gray. In the movie, Maguire’s life doesn’t fall into place once he remembers his ideals; it actually falls apart (where was it that I heard that "Being an idealist is not a bad thing, it’s just a hard thing"?). He backpedals and tries to salvage whatever is left of his life then finally gives in to the fact that he’s turning a new chapter in his life and there’s no turning back the pages.

With that kind of premise, most of us would have ran away. But reality plays its cosmic jokes and we should take it in stride. Being an idealist is certainly hard – I have the battle scars to show it. I remember during a job interview, the interviewer would look at my resumé and he would have had what I called the "you-have-got-to-be-kidding-me look."

It is funny when we call a person who can juggle while riding a monocycle on a tight rope "talented" but when someone who can write, has a background in psychology and can cook is a "side-show freak." And when I would go on to explain the relevance of eating and preparation of food on a person’s psyche, I would be given the famous one-liner –"I understand"– with a dazed and confused look in their eyes.

In short, it has not been easy. But sometimes life gives you one-liners, simple yet at times they seem to be enough to summarize what you need in life’s journeys. Even Jerry Maguire is no exception. The most memorable of which is Cruise’s sappy yet effective "You complete me" which is quickly followed by Zellweger’s "Shut up, just shut up… you had me at hello…" Of course, Gooding’s "Show me the money!" complete with his gyrations are also quite memorable. Not to be outdone by the more popular quips, Jerry’s mentor Dickie Fox shows up during the former’s gray areas in life and cracks the straightforward but valuable "I clap my hands and say this is going to be a great day." These one-liners don’t only give you something to remember about the movie, they give you a semblance of the impact of words or phrases in our lives. Whether they are positive or negative, sometimes words said can make an event. Trite as they may seem, they even keep you on track.

I have a favorite one-liner, of course, which I keep to heart. Actually I have two. One is from my family when I told them that I would be doing something different than what I had studied to do: "Go, be happy and do your best." The other is a quip from a former classmate, "You can never pull it off." I actually have my own one-liner for the latter and it has become somewhat of a motto. It could also be what the movie Jerry Maguire might say to you when you spot it in the shelf of your favorite rental shop: "WATCH ME!"