Apr
Showing Up
Several movies were made from a book entitled “I am Legend”. The best known are “I am Legend” with Will Smith and “The Omega Man with Charlton Heston.
Having seen the DVD of “I am Legend,” Audrey and I decided to watch the old “Omega Man” to see which was the better movie. We thought “I am Legend” lacked something. On watching “The Omega man”, it was clear that this was the better movie. Charlton Heston’s version of the story was better.
The same day we were watching “Omega Man,” Heston had died.
There is no doubt that Charlton Heston was a great actor. He played many excellent roles. Take “Soylent Green”, a movie that is still fascinating even after thirty-five years. Another sci-fi classic was the original “Planet of the Apes.” Who can forget their reaction when they heard Heston bellow, “Get your paws off me, you damn dirty apes!” And who can forget the shock of the last scene and the statue on the beach?
There is another thing about Heston. During World War II, he was a crewman on a B25 flying out of Alaska with the 11th Air Force. His unit routinely attacked the Kurile Islands and other Japanese targets. Along with being a movie hero, Charlton Heston was a genuine G.I. Many famous movie actors had spent time in the Armed Forces. Eddie Albert of Green Acres had been a landing craft pilot in the Pacific During World War II. Rod Serling of “The Twilight Zone” had been a paratrooper at that time. Ironically, John Wayne had never served in the military, despite his playing many military heroes.
There is something comforting in known that our movie heroes just might be the real thing. We are not thinking of super heroes, but ordinary people who show up. They do not have to win a lot of medals. It is enough that they came when called. Charlton Heston was one of those who showed up. He may or may not have flown combat mission, but he was there.
There are times in life when the most important thing to do is show up. It may be a war or disaster. It might be a wake for a friend’s parent or a hospital visit for an ailing friend. The crucial thing is being there. It is not whether you have to do anything when you get there. Maybe you will, maybe you will not. The point is that you get there in the first place. There are times when that makes all the difference.
