We Often Find Our Passion(s) in Our Nostalgia
I’m fortunate to live in an area where a lot of individuals who are in creative mediums, live. A few years ago, a number of those folks decided to put on an annual film festival each winter for the residents of the area. Now completing its 3rd year, the idea has been a complete success.
The opening night film of this year’s festival truly connected with the entire audience. It was about a drive in movie theatre in rural Pennsylvania. As the documentary opened, the audience was made aware that the drive in, which had been in operation since the late 1940’s, was in danger of having to close. The movies at the drive in were presented from a 35 millimeter projector. Film providers were no longer providing 35 millimeter prints to movie houses. Everything was provided on digital technology. The drive in could not afford a digital projector. In recent years its income and audience had dwindled in numbers, and it was in serious likelihood of not surviving.
The drive in was operated by a radio disc jockey who showed movies on Friday and Saturday evenings. He needed to come up with a strategy to keep the drive in alive. One thought was to show “classic movies” at the drive in. Those movies were able to be obtained on 35 millimeter reels. As the drive in was closing one season and planning ahead to the next, that was a strategy that the disc jockey decided to pursue.
About that same time a young filmmaking graduate had stumbled on the drive in theatre while out driving through the area one day. It brought him back to another era in time, an era of which he had fond memories as a youngster. He called another buddy who shared similar passion and love of film. They set out to find the disc jockey and learn about the current state and operation of the drive in. After learning the current state of things, the young film students indicated to the disc jockey that they would love to join him in an effort to save the drive in. They thought his idea of having classic movies was terrific. Having knowledge of social media, they were able to begin promoting the drive in’s existence via Facebook. They worked with him to put together double feature theme weekends and restore the snack bar areas. A phenomena was being born, (or perhaps reborn again).
As the calendar has moved forward to the spring of 2018, the Mahoning Drive-In Theater in Lehighton, Pennsylvania, is about to embark on another season for its patrons. All who work at the drive in do so as volunteers. The money the drive in takes in from admissions and concessions go to pay for the 35 millimeter film prints they get from their distributors. One of the young filmmakers, even found an innovative way to show digital movies, (if necessary), by bringing together 3 smaller digital projectors and allowing them to project a great image on the Mahoning’s enormous screen.
Often we will hit times in our lives, when a setback has us asking, “What do I do next with myself?” And, if the circumstances we have become used to appear stacked against us, often it is difficult to move ourselves forward. Many times the answer is in what was special to us throughout our entire life. One of the things I often encourage those who work with me in job search to do, is take time to assess themselves. In particular, the focus is on those things in their life they felt were accomplishments, and more than that, which they enjoyed doing. For those who take the process seriously, often an awaking of what truly motivates them emerges.
Yes, people will tell you, don’t live in the past. Time marches on, so you must do so too. However, it does not mean that you need to throw your entire past and the memories that went with it away. Perhaps there is a way that you can meaningfully bring them into your life again today. They may not be exactly as you did them and remember them, but you are only limited by your own imagination in how you want to experience those same feelings in your everyday life of today.
