Being Better at Being Human

The Documentary filmmaker Ken Burns gave an interview where he talked about a tough childhood. Ken’s mother died at age 42 after a 10-year battle with cancer. He says his dad tried to manage long list of things to do in the house by being very strict—even with emotions.

“He didn’t cry after the funeral. He established curfews and bedtime...Then one night my he told his son, “we're going to stay up.” Ken recalls it was a school night and his dad wanted to watch a movie on TV. “because of the commercials it was going to go to like 1:30 or 2 in the morning, which is ridiculous for an 11, 12 year old child to be watching TV on a school night. But it was Sir Carol Reed's Odd Man Out with James Mason about the troubles in Ireland. And my Father cried. And he really cried.

And I got it. I instantly got it. And I, at that moment, I said, I wanna be a filmmaker.”

Moments in which we connect with the humanity of ourselves and others are not just spiritual talismans; they are guideposts to teaching us who we are and who we want to be.