can i go home?
tim pezzelle
2012-09
~~
where to begin?
~
one of the last full feature animated films produced by disney, before pixar and toy story, was the emperor's new groove. i can recommend this movie very highly - it is hilarious fun. part of what has made it such a favorite of mine is the voice talent: david spade (SNL fame), john goodman (later the voice of Tulley in Monsters, Inc) and patrick warburton (Puddy in Seinfeld). i associate these voices with laughter - so they sort of had me right out of the gate.... i won't try to provide a movie synopsis... but there is one scene in particular that is irretractably embedded in my heart.
~
the wicked queen yzma (go ahead and pronounce that any old way you like) has usurped the throne from the young kuzco. she inadvertently turned him into a llama with a magic potion intended to kill him. in this scene, kuzco (in llama form) is being chased by yzma's soldiers. chaos reigns and a table of potions is overturned, splashing the magical elixers on the soldiers. instantly, they turn into a variety of animals. an awkward pause ensues... and one of the soldiers asks the obvious question: "i've been turned into a cow... can i go home?".
~
can i go home?
~
on the night before sherry passed, i was sitting on her bed talking with her. our conversation ranged from issues involving the next moment (ice chips) to eternity. holding her hand and listening to her... and fighting back the desire to just ball my eyes out... she posed the question: can i go home? she wasn't asking to go to the place we called home over on isabella avenue. she wasn't even asking for permission to let go of this life. she was asking me to affirm the things we said we believed for our lifetime together: God is good.... His promises are certain... His plans are immutable... He has prepared a place for us....
~
can i go home?
~
you might be wondering how the soldier/cow fits into the story. in the midst of the chase, the soldier/cow realized that he no longer fit the scene. being suddenly out of place and ill-equipped, he asks the most sensible question. i think sherry asked the same question for the same kinds of reasons. she heard God's faint call growing stronger. her body wasn't the same... suddenly out of place and ill-equipped. her chase, her race was coming to an end; and there we were, talking over the obvious question.
~
can i go home?
~
how do you answer this question... when the best of you holds your hand and asks? it popped into my head and came spilling out... "i've been turned into a cow, can i go home now?". we laughed over this treasured memory of a favorite movie. and then some tears. and then some of the sweetest pillow talk. simple words, softly spoken.... with the power to teach an old dog like me some new tricks.
~
we are all on a journey. each day the path offers us choices and draws us closer to journey's end. on that day when my path takes the final curve, i want to look back at every step... at every choice, and have just one question left to answer....
~
can i go home?
2012-09
~~
where to begin?
~
one of the last full feature animated films produced by disney, before pixar and toy story, was the emperor's new groove. i can recommend this movie very highly - it is hilarious fun. part of what has made it such a favorite of mine is the voice talent: david spade (SNL fame), john goodman (later the voice of Tulley in Monsters, Inc) and patrick warburton (Puddy in Seinfeld). i associate these voices with laughter - so they sort of had me right out of the gate.... i won't try to provide a movie synopsis... but there is one scene in particular that is irretractably embedded in my heart.
~
the wicked queen yzma (go ahead and pronounce that any old way you like) has usurped the throne from the young kuzco. she inadvertently turned him into a llama with a magic potion intended to kill him. in this scene, kuzco (in llama form) is being chased by yzma's soldiers. chaos reigns and a table of potions is overturned, splashing the magical elixers on the soldiers. instantly, they turn into a variety of animals. an awkward pause ensues... and one of the soldiers asks the obvious question: "i've been turned into a cow... can i go home?".
~
can i go home?
~
on the night before sherry passed, i was sitting on her bed talking with her. our conversation ranged from issues involving the next moment (ice chips) to eternity. holding her hand and listening to her... and fighting back the desire to just ball my eyes out... she posed the question: can i go home? she wasn't asking to go to the place we called home over on isabella avenue. she wasn't even asking for permission to let go of this life. she was asking me to affirm the things we said we believed for our lifetime together: God is good.... His promises are certain... His plans are immutable... He has prepared a place for us....
~
can i go home?
~
you might be wondering how the soldier/cow fits into the story. in the midst of the chase, the soldier/cow realized that he no longer fit the scene. being suddenly out of place and ill-equipped, he asks the most sensible question. i think sherry asked the same question for the same kinds of reasons. she heard God's faint call growing stronger. her body wasn't the same... suddenly out of place and ill-equipped. her chase, her race was coming to an end; and there we were, talking over the obvious question.
~
can i go home?
~
how do you answer this question... when the best of you holds your hand and asks? it popped into my head and came spilling out... "i've been turned into a cow, can i go home now?". we laughed over this treasured memory of a favorite movie. and then some tears. and then some of the sweetest pillow talk. simple words, softly spoken.... with the power to teach an old dog like me some new tricks.
~
we are all on a journey. each day the path offers us choices and draws us closer to journey's end. on that day when my path takes the final curve, i want to look back at every step... at every choice, and have just one question left to answer....
~
can i go home?
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