Marion: "You're not the man I knew ten years ago."
Indiana Jones: "It's not the years, sweetheart. It's the mileage."
I'm certainly not the man I was 28 years ago when I first saw "Raiders of the Lost Ark", but I have learned a thing or two about mileage in that time, and the difference between living in the moment and existing in the world.
"The Raiders March" filled my ears from my mp3 player upon my walk this morning, and it instantly cast me back to the awkward boy I was in 1981 without any real positive male role models in my life. My parents divorced at an early age, and my mother never remarried. My father moved on with his life, which essentially left me to grow up in a house full of women, consisting of my mother, my younger sister, and my aunt.
If I was to balance the ample amount of Yin energy with some Yang energy, I would need to look elsewhere than the home environment for some positive male role models. Sports never held any interest for me. It always seemed too generic and obvious to me, and I didn't want to follow what everyone else was doing. Books did help, as I as a voracious reader during my teenage years.
However, I would find the true male role models in my life up on the silver screen. Bold, brave, larger than life. Indiana Jones. Jack Burton. James Bond. Han Solo. Rocky Balboa. Yoda. Buckaroo Banzai. Men of action. I learned from these men (or aliens) and many other characters. They inspired, motivated, and challenged me in ways that few people did in real life. I learned about archeology from Indy, discovered a love for travel from Bond's worldwide exploits, and tapped into my inner Zen from listening to the likes of Dr. Banzai and Mr. Miyagi.
Indiana Jones would be one of my strongest role models. I hadn't seen "Raiders" when it first opened, but in late August of that year I attended a two week acting camp where the other campers chatted endlessly about it. I knew right then that my life would end if I did not go see this film IMMEDIATELY when I got home. Back then, films would play in theaters for six months to a year before leaving, so at some point in the fall of '81, I finally saw "Raiders" at a theater in Margate, New Jersey.
I have no actual memory of seeing the film at that time, but I do remember the impact it would have on me for years to come. Indy was a very good role model for a young boy. Strong, intelligent, adventurous, and, most of all, fallible. He was human. He made mistakes, yet managed to find the courage and strength (or dumb luck, even) to turn it around and succeed. This was one motivated dude, and I was quick to sit up and pay attention. Unlike space operas or sword and sorcery films, "Raiders" was far more tangible to identify with. It took place on Earth, in a real time period, with very real villains. Indy carried a gun as a practical weapon and a bullwhip as a cool weapon (which was also very practical for his line of work). There were no blaster or light sabers to be found here, and I was delighted to know that I could actually obtain such items in real life!
Of course, I was never really a gun person (as mentioned previously), so the bullwhip would be the weapon of choice until the sword came along some years later. For about six to eight months after I saw "Raiders", I actually thought I was Indiana Jones, which drove my family crazy, I'm sure. I had my version of Indy's hat, whip, jacket, and satchel bag, and would spend hours in my rather large backyard on countless adventures across the globe. I developed a taste for archeology, but would find out later that it was far more boring as a full on career than Indy's adventures.
Despite the somewhat lackluster films that followed, the character of Indy has always stayed with me these past 28 years. He's been a source of inspiration and motivation in my life, and unlike many real people, he's always been there for me. To say I have "Raiders" memorized would be an understatement. If you just played the soundtrack, I could tell you exactly where you were in the film. A little creepy perhaps, but it's a testament to the power of film, and how those images can change the direction of your life if you open your soul to the experience.
This fictional character taught me much in the definition of the self, and I honor him whenever I can, whether it be re watching "Raiders" again and reciting every line of dialogue, embarking on real life adventures, or just playing the Lego Indy video game, which I enjoy doing with my partner in crime. I let her play as Indy, for I'm content to play as the Alfred Molina character, Marion, or Indy's dad. I've spent enough time in Indy's shoes. I walk my own path now, but I know that he'll always be there as a whip cracking, guiding force in my life.
As the "Raiders March" comes to a brassy, triumphant end, there is a somewhat whimsical Indy coda that follows. I smile when I hear that small piece of music, for it reminds me not to take this life too seriously. There are big adventures out there, to be sure, but there is also the folly of watching the wind blow through the trees and having the leaves wave at you as you pass by.
I suppose there's a little Lego Indy in all of us...
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