“Please let me in.” “NO! ...Oh, all right.”

Deep down inside every old person, is their childlike personality. Many people as they get older, find it harder and harder to tap into their childhood feelings and live with joy and happiness. Instead, they harbor offenses and hurts that they gather throughout their lives and become bitter people. Such is the case with Carl Fredericksen. I, Philip Lacy, compare my personal life with this fictional character from the animated movie titled “Up” to show that not just in the fictional world, but in the real world too, that there is a better tomorrow after facing the pain in our life, if only we let it.

One way I feel like I relate myself to Carl, is by our personalities. Growing up he had a quiet an imagination. He would play all the time in an old run down house, and would have adventures with his best, and possibly only, friend Ellie. He seemed more of the quiet type, in both young and older years. However the number being few, the friends he had wound up being quality friends for life. Growing up, I on the other hand, was very hyper and rambunctious. After fourth grade I was homeschooled, and the few friends that I had known are still very close friends to this day. In my younger years I too would love to play outside in the woods that surrounded my house. My best friends and I would build forts out of small fallen down trees and would imagine all types of scenarios we would then act out. Like Carl, we didn’t have any cares in the world, and enjoyed just being kids. As we got older, the times changed, and life had taken a much different turn then we had expected.

"Peace without the grease"

I personally have a busy schedule that includes classes here at FCC, work, and trying to keep up with my friends and family. This is quite a juggling act to manage. At times I get overwhelmed by the daunting challenge of life, and responsibilities of a 23 year old adult. About a year ago a friend of mine helped me see how much I needed peace in my life. The stress was literally making me sick, and it was affecting everyone around me. Since then I’ve been conscious of my stress level and keeping peace with me. It has really improved my quality of life, and helped each aspect of it. Consequently my friendships and family dynamics have also improved.

Having peace in my life affects others around me. At times my friends and I will hang out with each other. Talking with them without having constant drama in my life makes me available to help them with stressful issues they have so that they too can have peace. If I’m constantly in a place of stress I can’t help anyone, much less myself. When I walk into a room I’ve noticed that the attitude of people change when I’m not stressed and others are. It has almost a calming effect, even when I don’t say anything. Babies taking a nap are a good example of this calming effect.

“What does grease mean?” you may be wondering. Grease in this context, is the stress, fear, and the overwhelming feeling of failure that comes at us in life. We can’t let this come at us, but instead we must replace it with peace. We all must find peace or the stress of life will destroy our lives.