Selfish Jerk- LIFE IS SHORT - Joshua Jackson

I recently rented the movie "One Week" written and directed by Michael McGowan and starring Joshua Jackson. The synopsis sounded interesting and I have been a Joshua Jackson fan since the TV show "FRINGE". It was sort of the soul searching journey about how he lived his life up until the day he found out he was dying, and what he wanted to do with the rest of his life as if he had only One Week to live.

Being raised watching American movies, I am programed to want a happy ending, in other words, the couples get together, or stay together or figure out their difference and continue to love each other even if it deviates a bit from their ultimate fairy tale life.

His fiance wasn't that bad, she had a few annoying habits, but when he realizes he's got a limited amount of time left on the earth, he doesn't want that life (being married to her) as being part fate.

His parents and fiance were so worried about him, they didn't know how close to dying he was, he wouldn't call, he wouldn't tell them where he was (and I remember thinking while watching)...what a selfish jerk (well you know the writer is brilliant when I'm feeling something and talking to the tv) and then I got really mad when he cheated on her and left her.

I got upset at the movie and it's stupid ending that I thought about it the rest of the night! But, not long before bed it hit me. How many decisions we make in life based on what others want us to do, based on others happiness, based on what is the status quo, what's the accepted norm?

How many dreams and desires do we put down, shove down and think we just have to suck it up and accept it? We live a life of being comfortable and for most that means compromising what what we would really do if we only had One Week left to live.

We take life for granted and think it will always be there, like we can continue to put our dreams on the shelf indefinately, that we will trek accross the country on motorcylce one day, we will settle down and get married one day, we will write that novel we've been thinking about, we will (you fill in the blank). But we aren't promised tomorrow.

Yes, maybe there could have been a better way he went about changing his mind and letting the people who loved him know...but ultimately living a life filled with regret is no way to live at all. Each day you put down what you feel in your heart, you die a little bit more.

We've got to grab this life with gusto, throw caution to the wind and ride that lighting bolt til it electrocutes us or sends us flying to our destination.

One last question...what would you do right now, this very moment if you knew you only had "One Week" to live?