Remotely wrong

The usually stiff upper lip Joey Concepcion is going to kill me for mentioning his name, but contrary to his tough exterior and cool demeanor, the guy is just as much a cry baby as I am if you give him a movie with a story worth crying over.

In this case, believe it or not, is "Click". Yes, the Adam Sandler movie that focuses on his defeated lifestyle and gets immensely improved courtesy of a "Remote Control" that freezes, rewinds, fast forward all of his real life situation.

If you never got the impression that an Adam Sandler movie could be very gut wrenching, please blame the lazy idiot that put together the trailers and promo materials for TV and cable.

Obviously too lazy to research their markets and make emotional and intellectual connections, the promoters decided to go standard Sandler, standard slap stick American.

They dropped the golden opportunity of focusing on a prevalent Pinoy executive behavior, employee fears, and paternal failures and possible redemption.

Instead of mixing the heavy with the looney, they focused on a remote control’s uses such as a slow motion function at a jogging hot babe, using it to hurt a spoiled child, and getting out of sticky marital issues.

I guess the first lesson in today’s column is for promoters and marketing people. DO YOUR HOMEWORK OR LOSE MILLIONS.

The movie was worth the money the guys paid for and more, but even more people could have appreciated the movie if the promoters didn’t capitalize on the inane!

The movie itself is worth watching or finding in whatever form as an analytical guide for over achievers, ambitious corporate types, or just plain people in business. It deals with the stupid priorities and even more stupid choices that people make in trying to direct, control, and accomplish their goals in the office.

The movie confronts us with the most likely results and ugly endings.

Worst of all it shows us that in the end we pushed the buttons, whether to reminisce over romantic pasts that were never as good as we imagined them to be.

And while we’re busy justifying our stupid choices, the smart ones are so busy making us work like addicts buzzing on the pressure, in the meantime we’re throwing the same anger and frustration at work towards the innocents.... our family.

Joey Concepcion and I have our separate reasons, causes to lightly weep, perhaps what we have in common is that we have seen the damage ambition has done to others, and realize how difficult the choices will be. But choices will be made and God willing they will all be for the happiness of those we love and not what the world tells us.

* * *

Speaking of life and the ones we love, my favorite mentor Pastor Steve Murell is responsible for introducing me to the country music of Garth Brooks. He has since then crossed over to mainstream music but if you ever find yourself in the "record store" try to get his greatest hits particularly the songs " If Tomorrow Never Comes" and "Thank God for Unanswered Prayers".

The first is a great reminder to everyone who takes loved ones for granted. The latter is about thanking God you never married the one you hoped to marry back in your heyday!

Consider this line:

"and a thought crosses my mind if I never wake in the morning, would she ever doubt the way I feel about her in my heart. If tomorrow never comes, will she know how much I love her, did I try in every way to show her everyday that she’s my only one.

"And if my time on earth were through, and she must face this world without me, is the love I gave her in the past gonna be enough to last if tomorrow never comes.

"Cause I’ve lost love ones in my life who never knew how much I loved them, now I live with the regret that my true feelings for them never were revealed. So I made a promise to myself, to say each day how she means to me and avoid that circumstance where there’s no second chance to tell her how I feel.... "

So tell that someone that you love just what you’re thinking off... if tomorrow never comes.

* * *

The other song is cheerier, reflective and certainly grateful...

Imagine your high school reunion or college reunion even and you run into the ones you wanted so much....

"She was the one that I’d wanted for all times, and each night I’d spend praying that God would make her mine. And if he’d only grant me this wish I wished back then, I’d never ask for anything again."

Sometimes I thank God for unanswered prayers, remember when you’re talking to the man upstairs, and just because he doesn’t answer doesn’t mean he doesn’t care. Some of God’s greatest gifts are unanswered prayers.

Go figure.

* * *

If you’re heading out of town and looking for very good and easy reading get a copy of "WHAT SHOULD I DO WITH MY LIFE" by Po Bronson. Available at National bookstore for under P300.

No its not a self help book! Its about 900 interviews cleverly written compressed into individual short 3 to 4 page episodes. What it achieves is to show us that all around the world real people face the same real questions, fears, victories and defeats relative to our nagging what should I do with my life.

What I like best is that it equalizes rocket scientists, gardeners, lobbyists, dreamers, emotional escape artists, and heroes! This one you gotta read!