Scent of A Man who loves Women

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scent-of-a-woman-2In an attempt last night to procrastinate at all costs, I curled up on the couch with the Oscar-winning 1992 drama, “Scent of a Woman.” It’s the story of a cantankerous, blind Army colonel (Al Pacino) who hires a timid 17-year old prep student (Chris O’Donnell) and takes him to New York City over Thanksgiving to complete his bucket list before ending his hopeless, useless life.

Talk about learning to Love Your Life Now! Is there a better example of overcoming deep depression and discovering life again? You must re-watch this movie! No matter where you are in your journey, this gem takes you all over the place.

You’ll laugh hard, cry intensely, and be stunned by the wisdom of the film’s message: Life is always worth loving, no matter how awful you feel about it. Don’t give up.

OK, so you don’t have time to watch the entire film. Give yourself a gift and watch these highlights:

  • The colonel gives his legendary earthy diatribe on women (and Ferraris, but only as a distant second). For us women, watching this is inspirational and illuminating. So this is what men think!
  • The colonel’s notorious “to-do” list before his suicide includes one last dance with a beautiful woman and test driving a Ferrari. Remember, the colonel is blind!

There’s a part of Colonel Slade in all of us. It’s that dark, lonely place where we think that life as we know it is over … and it can lead some of us very close to the edge. In the end, the colonel’s Manhattan rendezvous reinvigorates him, and he begins to taste and savor life again.

Starting over and starting again later in life can be darn daunting. But like Colonel Slade, we can get past that bleak place. It’s all about our inner dialogue. It can change! We have to tell ourselves we can change, then take the tangible steps to do so.