When I woke up on the morning of October 3rd, it was unusually dark out for this time of day. Then I looked out the window and saw that the neighborhood was shrouded in a thick fog. Whenever I see fog I think of two things. The first one is a sense of fear of what is hiding there just out of sight thanks to the 2007 movie The Mist. If you haven't seen that movie do it now. It's so fucked up that it scares me. The second thing is nostalgia for the good old days thanks to a 1988 movie Gorillas in the Mist staring Sigourney Weaver, which is a movie that I have never seen. So why do I think about that movie when I see fog? That takes a little explaining. Thankfully we have some time here at the blog for things like this.
Back in college I used to draw comics when I got bored in class. This is probably why it took me 7 years to graduate because I was too busy in the fantasy world inside my head to pay attention to the material in class that would have helped me get good grades on the exams. I was a pretty bad student but I don't regret it now because my creativity has gotten me further than my college degree has or ever will. But I digress. I drew comics but I'm no artist. I am a writer. A storyteller. I used stick figures and crude objects to enhance my dialogue to get my point across. One comic that I wrote was called Gorillas in the Midst, which was a reference to the movie that I've never seen but somehow know about. In this comic, the characters Pookon (me) and Zimbabwe (my best friend) have an argument where they discuss the differences between gorillas being in the mist or gorillas being in the midst.
According to Dictionary.com, mist is defined as "1. A cloudlike aggregation of minute globules of water suspended in the atmosphere at or near the earth's surface, reducing visibility to a lesser degree than fog. 2. A cloud of particles resembling this: She sprayed a mist of perfume onto her handkerchief. 3. Something that dims, obscures, or blurs: the mist of ignorance. 4. A haze before the eyes that dims the vision: a mist of tears. 5. A suspension of a liquid in a gas.
Midst is defined as "1. The position of anything surrounded by other things or parts, or occurring in the middle of a period of time, course of action, etc.(usually preceded by the): a familiar face in the midst of the crowd; in the midst of the performance. 2. The middle point, part, or stage (usually preceded by the): We arrived in the midst of a storm.
I know it sounds dumb but to me it was humorous because it was a play on words. You see, both characters were correct because gorillas could either be in the mist or in the midst, or they could even be both! They could be in the midst of the mist! They consulted the Webster Dictionary and he was able to put an end to their meaningless squabble and restore their friendship. So what did Pookon and Zimbabwe do? They proceeded to burn the Dictionary and roast marshmallows over his smoldering ashes. So it was a happy ending! I always make references to movies, music, places, inside jokes, etc. in my writing but rarely to I make a reference to something that I've never done or seen. How can I discuss a based on a true story movie if I've never seen it or don't know anything about the primatologist Dian Fossey that Weaver plays? I have no idea, but somehow it all made sense to me back in 2004 when I drew this comic. I'm probably never going to see Gorillas in the Mist. There are some movies that I just have no interest in seeing. But it still managed to have an impact on my life because I'm talking about it. Isn't that weird? But so is my life. I've given up trying to understand myself. I hope you have too. But I hope that doesn't stop you from coming back tomorrow for another pickle. I've got a full jar of them just waiting to be shared.
- pookon -
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