What Makes Life Worth Living?

A confession before I begin: I am a fan of Woody Allen’s “Manhattan”. Yes, I know that Mr. Allen is probably not the most acceptable figure in the American film industry now - and maybe I should have second thoughts about including here as an influence on this piece - but you cannot ignore that body of work or the influence he has had on other comic talents. I first saw the film as a kid of the '80s and I really felt that it spoke to me as I got older, had relationships that did not always work out, and finally saw Manhattan (only five years after the film’s release).

It is also our own Thanksgiving Day, a logical thing for Canada (we could not wait for a November holiday knowing what kind of weather we are going to get). But back to the movie...

The scene that always stood out to me was the moment when Woody’s character, Isaac Davis (does it really matter what he calls himself?), records himself making a list of all the things in life that make it worth living. I found a complete breakdown of the arrangement of the list online:

• Seminal Influence

• Hero or Heroine

• Piece of Music or Album

• Song or Track (and the artist who recorded it)

• Obsession

• Book and Its Author

• Actor

• Musical Artist

• Specific Element of Some Favourite Work of Art, or Body of Work

• Item on the Menu at Your Favourite Place to Eat or Drink

• Body Part of the Person You Love

And for those of you who don’t recall Isaac’s complete list, here is a direct quote:

Why is life worth living? It's a very good question. Um... Well, There are certain things I guess that make it worthwhile. uh... Like what... okay... um... For me, uh... ooh... I would say... what, Groucho Marx, to name one thing... uh... um... and Willie Mays... and um... the 2nd movement of the Jupiter Symphony... and um... Louis Armstrong, recording of Potato Head Blues... um... Swedish movies, naturally... Sentimental Education by Flaubert... uh... Marlon Brando, Frank Sinatra... um... those incredible Apples and Pears by Cezanne... uh... the crabs at Sam Wo's... uh... Tracy's face...

Not bad; a very respectable list indeed. So, of course, I have decided to come up with my own list. All done with bullet points (dialogue in my head works better with a list):

• Albert Camus (I picked him because he was the first serious writer I felt compelled to read in total; I may do so one day - not sure about the plays). Also, he was a poor kid who made good despite the obstacles. Still a hero.

• Miles Davis (and another hero; I have tried to often copy his style and have failed miserably; I will keep on trying).

• “Kind of Blue” from Mr. Davis and co. (see above)

• “Mr. Green Genes” by Frank Zappa and the Mothers of Invention (a bit of a turn here; the middle section with the xylophone is something that made me a true Zappaholic).

• Public Book Boxes (all the books I have dropped off and picked up in these conveniences have made me aware of how connected I feel to many other readers in my hometown).

• “Cat’s Cradle” by Kurt Vonnegut (I have written about this one before and how deeply it affected my sense of what a book can be; Mr. Vonnegut is still one of my most important influences).

• Daniel Day-Lewis (the best living film actor of our time; just hope he continues to have comebacks now and then).

• Prince (missed and never forgotten, we owe him for his purple badness; an R&B singer who never settled on one style - amazing that we got the chance to hear it, even for a brief moment).

• Those overwhelming paintings by Anselm Kiefer (I first saw his work at the Musée d'Art Contemporain in Montréal - the piece was 'Sunflower' - Aschenblume, 1983-97; yes, it took fourteen years to make - and it was one of the first times I felt that I could be swallowed up by a painting).

• The sesame or poppy seed bagels from St. Viateur (until you try one, you will not understand what I mean; they are also meant to be eaten fresh right from the bakery - not difficult since they are open 24 hours a day).

• My niece’s laugh (again, until you have experienced it, you will never understand why I chose it; it still chimes in my head and have done my best to provide her with all the humour she would need).

Okay, I know that these are not perfect matches (and the last one is not a body part), but I think that this makes me very grateful to be alive.

Happy Thanksgiving, my fellow Hosers!

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You can find more poems, stories, and articles by Kendall Defoe on my Vocal profile. I complain, argue, provoke and create...just like everybody else.

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