"42" - Morals from Jackie Robinson's Biopic

If you haven't seen 42 yet, GO SEE IT.

You don't have to be a sports fan to enjoy it (I don't even know all the rules of baseball). I think it's a very poignant and entertaining movie that fans of any genre would enjoy, even more so because it is based on a true story of heroism and triumph - the story of how Jackie Robinson became the first African American major league baseball player since the 1880s (42 is his uniform number, not the year he joined). The acting and directing are superb.

42 plunges you into the uncomfortable and dark corners of American history, close enough to be within our grandparents' lifetimes. It subtly and powerfully portrays how legalized racial segregation (aka "Jim Crow" laws) permeated every aspect of every American's life, regardless of race. The whole country was swept up in a mob mentality and socialized to believe and enforce the centuries-old false truth that white is superior and black is inferior.

I'm going to try a new approach to analyzing the moral(s) of a movie. Instead of picking one major one to expound on, I'm going to give snippets of thoughts on multiple ones. There are SO many good moments and lessons worth mentioning. These are just the ones that were most touching to me:

Have the Inner Strength NOT to Fight Back

When executive Branch Rickey calls Robinson into his office to offer him a chance to play for his team(s), he squarely lays out all the persecution he will have to face as the only black man. Robinson retorts, "You mean, you want someone who doesn't have the guts to fight back?" Rickey returns with, "No! I want someone who has the guts not to fight back." The distinction is subtle but significant. The natural [weaker] man will react on impulse and likely lash out at his offenders; the [stronger] self-controlled man will not be so easily provoked but think before he acts, and therefore avoid reacting rashly. Rickey even used explicit biblical quotations, namely "turn the other cheek" (Matthew 5:39).

"He that is slow to anger is better than the mighty; and he that ruleth his spirit than he that taketh a city." (Proverbs 16:32)

I also like this quote by Elizabeth Kenny: "He who angers you conquers you."

Racism is Socialized, Not Instinctive

Bessie Delaney said, "Only little children and old folks tell the truth." In one scene, a colorblind white boy goes to a game with his father, excited to see the new star play. His eyes light up as soon as Robinson steps onto the field, but every [white] person around him heckles the player. The boy looks sad/scared/confused at first but then joins in the derision. It is a heartbreaking moment during which we see how quickly the ugliness of racism is indoctrinated into a person's mind through sheer social force. I love how this movie uses children to show that racism is a completely unnatural creation of humans; it was not given to us at birth as a divine heritage. In fact, it goes against our natural moral compass of right and wrong. As repeated throughout scripture, "God is no respecter of persons" (Acts 10:34), which means He does not favor one above another but loves us all equally as His children.

Those Who Speak the Loudest Are Not Always Right

I loved the moments in the movie when a white man, a stranger or a teammate, would quietly express his support for or publicly defend Robinson. I'm touched by the moviemakers' sensitivity to the complexity of the times. Not all whites were racists; racism was defended by those who were the most outspoken and violent about it - the low-minded mobs, the prideful policemen, the belligerent baseball fans. One of Shakespeare's acute aphorisms applies here: "The empty vessel makes the loudest sound." Many whites kept quiet because they would otherwise be persecuted as a "n***** lover" and risk their safety, as well as their family's. It's easy to ridicule them for being cowardly and passive, but what would we have done if we lived in those circumstances?? It's hard to say, but I do believe that one of the reasons legalized racism lasted so long in this country is because "all it takes for evil to succeed is for a few good men to do nothing" (Edmund Burke).

A Strong Marriage Will Get You Through Anything

One of the first things God did for Adam was give him a wife, for -

"the Lord God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him." (Genesis 2:18)

Unlike many marriages of famous men, Robinson's marriage to his wife Rachel was faithful, loyal, and true. And I couldn't find any accounts of the contrary in their real lives. She supported him through his baseball career and all the mistreatment it came with, and I'm sure he supported her as she pursued her nursing career and later taught at Yale. They had 3 children together and stayed married until his death. That's the kind of love and devotion I want in a marriage.

Hatred Only Hurts the Haters

The movie shows that the hatred that drives racisim is a poison that seeps through all areas of life. A good quote by Coretta Scott King (who confronted hatred strong enough to kill her husband, Martin Luther King, Jr.) is, "Hate is too great a burden to bear. It injures the hater more than it injures the hated." Some of the biggest persecutors of Robinson shown in the movie (played by Ryan Merriman and Alan Tudyk) saw their careers decline later on, while Robinson - the hatED - went on to great success. I think people like them put so much energy into hating others that they don't have enough to improve their own lives. Wendell Berry wrote an insightful book called The Hidden Wound (1989) to awaken white people to how much they were hurting themselves and society while persecuting and discriminating against blacks.

Change the World without Changing Yourself

This may sound completely divergent from the famous quote by Gandhi: "You must be the change you wish to see in the world." The way I interpret that is, if you want to see change happen in the world, it has to start with you. I totally agree with that, and I think this quote from 42 just takes it further. The moral here is as we gain fame (and maybe wealth and power) from the impact we have on the world, we should not let it corrupt us or taint our character. After Robinson retired from baseball in 1957, he continued to advocate for racial integration and served with the NAACP (National Association for the Advancement of Colored People). There are so many people who become narcissistic and arrogant with success, but Robinson remained the same honorable man after being a pioneer and record breaker in race relations and baseball.

Journey of 15 Career Options

Everyone remembers being asked, "What do you want to be when you grow up?" Like most people, my answer changed through the years. It's interesting to think about how many careers I honestly considered - whether for days or years - and the drawbacks that outweighed my passion for that field of work. Being the listmaking and self-reflecting person I am, I thought it'd be fun to articulate all of my past career considerations...

Paleontologist
Inspiration: I got a dinosaur book for Christmas in 2nd grade (I asked for books) and was absolutely fascinated. I thought how cool it would be to study them.
Turnoffs: Dirtiness. Loneliness. As I read more, I realized that most of their time was spent either digging in some dusty desert or studying bones in a dimly lit lab. I guess I just liked the colorful illustrations and imagining what it'd be like to "meet" some of these creatures.

Dermatologist
Inspiration: I had really bad acne in junior high and studied a lot of books/magazines about how to treat it. I also experimented with alot of different treatments on my own face, including homemade facials. Proactiv has been the most effective solution I've tried and I've been using it for years. I know firsthand how much acne can inhibit a person's confidence and self-image so I wanted to help others treat their acne problems.
Turnoffs: Grossness - I borrowed a book from the library about dermatology and was immediately grossed out by all the pictures of moles, rashes, infections, etc. I realized there's alot more to dermatology than treating acne and decided I didn't want to be grossed out all day, everyday at work.

Makeup Artist
Inspiration: After I got some of my acne under control, I got into makeup books - especially by Bobbi Brown and Kevin Aucoin - and started experimenting on my face. I became intrigued by how much makeup could change one's look.
Turnoffs: Lack of intellectual stimulation. Low pay. Working with vain/superficial people. Physical strain of standing & leaning all day.

Fitness Trainer
Inspiration: I started reading Self magazine after watching Wish Upon a Star because all the popular girls in the movie read it. Haha how impressionable teenage girls are! Every issue has alot of fitness tips and moves to try. They publish a fitness challenge every summer, which I did for a couple years in junior high. I loved feeling lean and strong.
Turnoffs: Low pay. [Often] no benefits. Job instability - I'd love to get paid for working out everyday and teaching classes, but what if I got sick or injured? I couldn't deal with that kind of professional vulnerability.

Nutritionist
Inspiration: Also spurred by reading Self magazine. I restricted my calories, measured my meals, ate foods I didn't like...all that jazz. My mom is always reading up on the latest nutrition news and telling me to eat more of this or that to get a certain nutrient. I found I also liked teaching others how to take better care of their bodies.
Turnoffs: Science - I quickly realized how much of it I had to know and be good at to be a good nutritionist. I had no interest in and barely got through my science classes, so this option was out.

Movie Critic
Inspiration: I first got interested in old movies (1920s-60s) from reading Life is a Movie Starring You in 6th grade, arguably and embarrassingly the most influential book in my life except for the scriptures. I found that I really enjoyed analyzing and critiquing them.
Turnoffs: No market - as I started watching the more recent movies on the American Film Institute's top movies lists, I realized I prefer the older movies and nobody would pay me to critique old movies haha. Also, as my own moral standards were validated by joining The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints at age 18, I realized there are LOTS of violent, profane, erotic, and plain idiotic movies I shouldn't and wouldn't want to watch.

Motivational Speaker
Inspiration: As my self-esteem blossomed in my late teens from the influence of various role models and I got more comfortable being in front of an audience through joining Concert Choir in 11th grade, I thought of how fulfilling it would be to travel the country uplifting impressionable youth.
Turnoffs: Instability from excessive traveling and difficulty of raising a family, especially while the children are young.

Food Taster
Inspiration: Samantha Brown's show on the Travel Channel because my mom watched it all the time and we both envied her exciting world-trotting lifestyle sampling different foods and cultures. Also, I'm obsessed with the Food Network. I always try free food samples. I can happily spend hours in the grocery store.
Turnoffs: Aversion to raw meat and certain shellfish (clams, mussels & oysters...but I love shrimp, crab & lobster). Word of Wisdom - Mormons don't drink alcohol, coffee, or tea. I'm also a wimp when it comes to spicy foods - I'm working on that. These personal preferences & religious commandments rule out alot of dishes & cuisines!

Stage Musical Performer
Inspiration: It was also Life is a Movie Starring You that got me into old musicals. Singing, dancing, and acting looked so fun!
Turnoffs: I stink at acting - I barely passed my 8th grade drama class and never tried acting again. Financial instability. Competitiveness - I would be so physically and emotionally exhausted by a life of constant auditioning. Extensive traveling - again, difficult to raise a family.

Jazz Singer
Inspiration: I found out I could sing in high school and joined Concert Choir, then Jazz Choir. I'd love to sing my favorite jazz vocal standards on a stage, accompanied by a terrific band, and to a captive audience.
Turnoffs: Same reasons as being Stage Musical Performer. Plus I didn't know of any Asian jazz singers and wasn't sure if I'd be successful as the first one!

Professional Dancer
Inspiration: I got into ballroom dancing in 12th grade and continued full throttle at BYU. I became obsessed with the glamour and wanted to explore my own potential as a dancer.
Turnoffs: Excruciatingly long rehearsals - a requisite for any successful artist. Prone to injuries. Immodest dresses are expected. Again, extensive traveling - difficult to raise a family. Pressure to stay in fabulous shape all the time. Unsustainable - either quit after a few years to focus on raising a family or never have children or be an absent parent.

High School History Teacher
Inspiration: I adored my American history teachers. I wanted to inspire teens during their formative years to care about and even love learning about American history.
Turnoffs: Pesky intrusive parents that keep teachers from teaching what needs to be taught. Fear of not being able to reach out to and have a positive impact on wayward students. Low pay. The messy public school system. These may be short-sighted but...I didn't like how strict the class schedules were in the major because it would keep me from participating in the BYU Ballroom Dance Company. I don't regret not going into that career.

Academic Advisor
Inspiration: I had a great advisor at BYU and I found that I really enjoyed "counseling" my friends about their academic/career choices.
Turnoffs: Schedule inflexibility and overtime - usually a 9am-5pm job with extra hours on the weekends and evenings for events. Lack of opportunities to learn and grow in the humanities.

Career Counselor
Inspiration: I've had some miserable periods of job searching during which I learned the hard way what works and what doesn't. I feel like those experiences have helped me serve others by sharing my resume, cover letter, and interviewing skills. It directly correlated with my personal mission statement, which I created early in college: "To inspire and empower others in reaching their goals and fulfilling their potential."
Turnoffs: Same as being an Academic Advisor, though both may be fun side jobs.

So what the heck AM I going to be when I grow up?? Well I've been in denial for some years but as I've become more true to my interests, skills, and personality and researched the career option, I've decided to pursue as career as...

American Studies Professor!
Inspiration: American Studies was the only major at BYU that didn't have any "turnoffs" for me. I declared it my freshman year after taking American Heritage (which almost every student dreaded but I loved and later became a TA for it) and loved it wholeheartedly for these reasons:

Flexibility - except for a few general requirements, the rest of the credits were free for me to use on an enormous selection of classes across multiple departments. This meant I can arrange my schedule each semester around my dance classes (which I took an average of 3-4 each semester).

Variety - we could take America-related classes in these departments: history, English, economics, political science, music, religion, sociology, and humanities.

Personalization - I was able to only take classes in the subjects that interested me.

Turnoffs: Although American higher education is under extreme scrutiny and in a mess of a revolution in so many ways, I want to be a college professor for these reasons:

Again, Flexibility - Despite my academic and scholarly ambitions, I want to be a wife and mother more than anything. Those are 2 roles that are eternal and thus immeasurably significant. Except for a few hours on campus teaching classes and advising students, being a professor will allow me to work almost any time of the day from home, which allows for easier coordination of family time.

Authenticity - True to our generation's philosophy to "Do what you love, the money will follow", I've been exploring what I naturally love to do and can get people to pay me for. So during idle times, (besides dancing, trying new foods, going to concerts, playing piano, etc.) I've observed that I naturally like to read/learn, chew over ideas, come up with my own opinions/insights, and discuss and share it with others through stimulating intellectual conversations or writing about it and receiving feedback. Basically, I like to read, think, write, teach, and talk about interesting ideas. As I did more career research and talked to professors, I realize this is what they do all day! Joyous me!

So there you have it. I'm barely at the beginning of this career path; my first class in the American Studies Masters program at George Washington University starts in a week! The road will be long and hard but fulfilling and hopefully ultimately profitable. I'm not afraid of hard work, I'm afraid of boredom. I don't seek for fancy titles and a huge paycheck, I seek time to raise a happy, healthy, righteous family in the gospel and the opportunity to fulfill my life's purpose.

***UPDATE*** (February 7, 2015)
As sure as I was about being an American Studies professor in 2013, I realized after 2 semesters that I really don't like research, especially lonesome archival research. What I really craved was personal interactions and helping people "reach their goals and fulfill their potential" by talking to them. So I applied to counselor graduate programs and decided on the Ed.M. in Psychological Counseling at Teachers College, Columbia University. It is an extremely challenging program where self-reflection and self-disclosure is a huge part of the curriculum; we are asked to be vulnerable and aware of our own values, beliefs, and biases so we may become more effective counselors.

I think I still want to be a college career counselor but my degree will prepare me to counsel in many other settings. I'm grateful to be in a career path that aligns perfectly with my personal mission statement, my natural instincts and strengths, and even baptismal covenant (Mosiah 18:8-10)! This career requires a lot of training and continual education, and I don't know how I will reconcile these demands with a full healthy marriage and family life but I trust God will help me fulfill my righteous desires in His timing.

What about all my other passions mentioned above? I have found that I'm able to satisfy those interests on the side. I still immerse myself in American Studies through books, articles, podcasts, movies, lectures, museums, etc. I continue to progress in singing, playing piano, and dancing through concerts, classes, social dancing, teaching, and any performance opportunity I can find. I strive to stay fit, eat nutritiously, take good care of my skin (FYI Proactiv no longer works, I've switched to Exposed Skincare). I'm so grateful for a full abundant life (John 10:10).

***UPDATE*** (August 8, 2016)
I graduated with my M.A. in Mental Health Counseling in May and in one week from today, I will finally and officially be a full-time professional Career Counselor at Columbia University!! This is happening on the 5 year anniversary of Launched by Linda, my freelance side gig editing resumes/cover letters/college essays. I started it as soon as I graduated BYU in August 2011 to gain experience and skills towards becoming a career counselor. It's finally happening!!! Dreams come true. Hard work pays off. God is good.

***UPDATE*** (September 4, 2018)
In August 2017, I left my job at Columbia to try being an Academic Advisor. I found it was not a good fit for multiple reasons and I started searching for career counseling jobs after just 6 months. After 19 applications and 16 interviews all over the country, I finally accepted an offer as a Career Director in the Liberal Arts! I'm thrilled to be back in career services where I can best utilize my strengths and explore my interests, and help others do the same. I can't imagine a more fulfilling job in the workplace.