The Remains of a 700lb Burger (A Mish-Mash)

There’s nothing like watching a movie about missed opportunity to cause one to reflect on potential missed opportunity.  The Remains of the Day is a movie that tells the story of Stevens, an English butler of extraordinary loyalty and devotion who travels to meet a former colleague, Miss Kenton, for whom he possessed a great affection for.  Well, great affection understates his feelings because as the movie unfolds we see the development of an unrealized love between Stevens and Kenton.  After watching the movie again some 17 years later I waited in dread for the ending and their final departure, the last moment where Kenton's hand slips away from Stevens’, knowing this was their last time together.  It’s an emotionally charged scene that causes one to hope there is nothing so emotionally tragic in their own life.  I felt like watching a movie like 300 to get back to a state of emotional equilibrium.

As Stevens considered his past and the remainder of his life, I pondered things as well.  Nothing so passé as love unrealized, I’ve got that realized (Well, for the most part.  When I tick her off I think she’d like to kick me to the curb, but…).  I thought about how I precede with the remains of my day, my life.  And I thought about a 700lb burger.  A new friend of mine shared photos of the Fried Onion Burger Day Festival  were a gargantuan, 700lb burger was cooked and consumed.  I believe the festival took place somewhere in Oklahoma.  You can take a look at the photos here.  Her photos not only recount the process of preparing and cooking that huge monster, but also revealed she has a foot fetish and a love for classic muscle cars.  OK, I’m kidding about the foot fetish thing, she just happened to share a couple of shots of feet.  Looking at her photos of that massive future coronary and, dare I say it, her feet made me smile.  That looked like a good way to spend a day.

I also thought about a commencement speech given this past week by President Obama to the graduating students of the University of Michigan.  I’m terribly cynical when it comes to politicians.  I take an a priori  position that all politicians are scumbags and self serving.  I have yet to be proven wrong, but I hold on to hope.  Still, Obama said something that resonated with me.  He was talking about vitriolic political rhetoric when he advised;

If you're a regular Glenn Beck listener, then check out the Huffington Post sometimes. If you read The New York Times editorial page (in the) the morning, then glance every now and then at The Wall Street Journal.

"It may make your blood boil. Your mind may not be changed. But the practice of listening to opposing views is essential for effective citizenship."

I figure this is sound advise, even if it is coming from a self serving politician.  I liked it (just don’t tell all of my conservative friends).  I have personally  grown weary of the political polarization game. It’s something that doesn’t make me smile. Now, a person audacious enough to take a picture of her feet and share them makes me smile!  But, I’m being redundant.

You know, I hope there were enough people to eat that 700lb burger.  And I hope a politician choked on it.  No, wait, I didn’t mean that.

I can’t change the past, but I can choose to make the most of my remaining days.  Fortunately for me, my Miss Kenton didn’t slip from my hand.  Hopefully, hand-in-hand, we can make the most of the remains of our day,  with a smile and without regret.  And I need to ask her if she’s wanting to grill some burgers.

(yes, a couple of what seems to be non sequiturs, but I had spicy chicken before watching the movie)