(A Tribute to director John Hughest who died 6 Aug 2009)
“Life moves pretty fast. If you dont stop to look around once in a while, you could miss it”
Not the words of Nietszche, Plato or even Tony Robbins but high school drop out Ferris Bueller in the 80s teen flick “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off”.
Despite his lack of academic prowess, Bueller embodies many of the positive attributes a man should aspire to be - charming, curious, gregarious, subversive, loyal, witty, daring and ultimately free.
Ferris’s aphorism is one of happiness through a journey of self-discovery. The symbolism isn’t lost on Ferris’ wanton joy-ride through life courtesy of his buddy Cameron’s rich dad’s 1961 Ferrari GT California - the car so precious is was kept constantly under lock and key in the garage.
While very few of us could claim to owning the Ferrari GT California, we all democratically own time and happiness and the vast majority have, like Cameron’s father, kept it locked in the garage for that “some day” - that elusive future day when the toiling is over, we’ll put up our work-weary feet and declare “I have arrived”.
Ferris reminds us we are complicit in this manufactured reality, how society relegates the concept of “now” to the pejorative - subjugated to the ever present march of progress for more. Arrival removes the discomfort of not knowing, the fear of the unknown, the closure that closes the loop on the uncontrollable. Yet, our quests for security, a life spent slaving for the Man (be he the Firm or ourselves as the boss) may well yield that promotion, that sports car, that house extension, that holiday we yearn to advertise on Facebook but at what cost?
“Children, old people, vagabonds laugh easily: they have nothing to lose and hope for little.
There lies simplicity, happiness and peace.” Matthieu Ricard
Cameron: “The 1961 Ferrari, two-fifty GT California. Less than a hundred were made. My father spent three years restoring this car. It is his love, it is his passion . . .”
Ferris Bueller: “It is his fault he didn’t lock the garage.”
