Wednesday, August 22, 2001

The meaning of life, part one

By BILLY MURPHY
Laugh Lines

Lots of people complain these days that there's nothing out there that makes living worthwhile. I say movies make the world go round. "It's a Wonderful Life" and my "Sixth Sense" tells me that being a "Die-Hard" movie fan doesn't make me a "Psycho." I don't mean to go "Overboard" with this movie stuff, but such a "Phenomenon" is not "Alien" to my existence. I will "Face Off" all "Goodfellas" or an "American Beauty" on any "Dog Day Afternoon" to tell them the importance of movies.

I was "On the Waterfront" in "New York, New York" recently and as I looked out the "Rear Window" the "Taxi Driver" told me a "Toy Story." "The Conversation" went "Back to the Future" when it started pouring and he said, "Look at it 'Rain, Man'!" His name was "Michael" and he said, "'Stand by Me,'" if you want the 'Right Stuff.'"

As he swerved through "Traffic," "The Birds" flew. "When 'Harry met Sally,'" he said, "it was the 'Best of Times.'" He dropped me in "Manhattan" and he was "Gone with the Wind." I could hear the "Sound of Music" as he drove away into "The Heat of the Night." His windows were left open because "Some Like it Hot."

As I walked away, I noticed my clothes were stained with "Grease." I now had a Blue Streak on my Full Metal Jacket. He needed to take his cab to the "Car Wash." It was "Groundhog Day" and the crowds in the streets gave me a "Titanic" case of "Heartburn." I saw a man "Patton" his dog on the head and I thought, "This is as 'Good as it Gets.'"

"The Music Man" was in an argument with "All the President's Men," but there was no "Contact." It was "High Noon" on "Sunset Boulevard" now and I saw a man leaving his doctor's office. His broken leg must have been mended because as he passed "The Apartment," I saw him throw the "Castaway."

I walked around the rest of the day and night, searching for the "Meaning of Life" until I "Ran" into a man who must have been "Delirious." He was dressed like John Wayne, looking at his watch and said, "It's 'Midnight, Cowboy.'"

As the dawn broke I realized I just need a "Vacation," a "Roman Holiday." I would ponder these questions of life another time. For the time being, I would just have "Breakfast at Tiffany's."

[Visit Billy Murphy on the Internet at www.ebilly.net.]

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