"Oh you can't miss him Mrs. Chumley, he's a pooka."
-Elwood P. Dowd
Back when I was 10 years old, my mom made me watch this black and white movie one day, and of course, at 10, anything in black and white is terrible. I didn't quite get the movie. I was told it was a classic and entertaining, but my young mind didn't see anything other than a foolish grown up and his friends. I didn't understand alcohol or societal norms. I mean, I was only 10.
Nowadays, I've become well acquainted with this "classic" film. It's easily one of my top five favorite movies of all time, and I am sure to watch it at least once a month. The story is beautiful, the actors are incredible, and the message is supreme. So what is this movie? "And now I'd like you to meet a very dear friend of mine, Harvey."
Harvey has become a good friend of mine as well. He's hard to miss, standing 6 feet - or 6 feet 3 and a half inches to be exact - tall, dressed in fine clothes and a nice top hat. He's always kind and always knows your name. Mr. Dowd had this to say of the first night he met Harvey:
". Suddenly I heard a voice say, 'Good evening Mr. Dowd.' And I looked around, and there was this 6-foot-tall white rabbit standing next to a lamppost. Now, I didn't think much of that, as when you've lived in a town as long as I've lived in this one you grow accustomed to people knowing your name."
Perhaps I should tell a little more about Elwood P. Dowd. Mr. Dowd is a popular man among most circles. He makes friends easily and is very generous. Why, nearly every person he meets he invites to dinner, and he makes sure they attend. He has no official job, but everyday, he and Harvey sit in the bars and talk with people. They brighten the day of all the patrons that walk through the door, one of the noblest tasks someone could imagine. But then, what else would you expect from such a tremendous duo?
So what am I getting on about, you might be wondering. Well, I'm going to offer up some quotes now, and despite the opinions of some that these ideals are outdated, I tend to support Mr. Dowd. In the very beginning of the movie, Elwood and Harvey meet the mailman as they are leaving the Dowd residence. The mailman notes to Elwood that it's a "beautiful day." Mr. Dowd's reply? "Every day is a beautiful day." In today's world, society doesn't agree with this. We see the negative in everything. But why can't we turn ourselves around? Why can't we wake up in the morning when it's cold and wet out and say, "What a beautiful day!" Every day should be beautiful. You're alive, aren't you?
Speaking on the subject of reality, Mr. Dowd had this to say: "Well, I've wrestled with reality for thirty-five years, Doctor, and I'm happy to state I finally won out over it." Our society would frown upon this statement with furious conviction. How can someone not be totally consumed with success and climbing the corporate ladder on the backs of those below them? How could someone spend their time socializing and enriching the lives of others instead of working 50-plus hours a week at a job they hate? Is Mr. Dowd wrong, or is our mentality simply skewed?
"My mother used to say to me 'Elwood' - she always called me that - 'Elwood, in this world, you can be oh-so-smart or oh-so-pleasant.' Well, for many years I was smart. I recommend pleasant." Another statement that seems to fly in the face of all that is right and just. Is it so incredulous to think that perhaps life would be better if we all were amicable and were not greedy or consumed by our jobs? Mr. Dowd has really hit on something here. And I tend to agree with him. When you're "smart," you tend to look at the world differently. You see all the bad, all the pain and suffering, the politics and the wars. When you're "pleasant," you see fields of green, sunsets on lakes, trees swaying in the breeze and waves gently lapping at the shore. Which is more attractive?
When Mr. Dowd was about to undergo a treatment to "shock him back to reality," a cab driver had this to say: "After this he'll be a perfectly normal human being. And you know what stinkers they are!" Sadly, this is far too true. The average person lacks the ability to sit back and let things happen. They can't just enjoy what's happening, they always want more of this or wish that was better. It's a terrible mindset, and no one seems to notice.
Finally, I have one last quote for your consumption: "Oh, I always have a wonderful time wherever I am, whomever I'm with." Joy at being alive. Joy at social interaction. Joy at just experiencing what there is in the world. When was the last time you felt like that? Have you ever felt that way? Perhaps it's time. Time to make your life bright, time to find the good in the bad. You don't need religion, you don't need support groups. Maybe, all you need is a companion, someone you can lean on. Be pleasant, instead of smart. Talk to Harvey sometime. He can help. After all, he is a pooka.
"'Pooka - From old Celtic mythology, a fairy spirit in animal form, always very large. The pooka appears here and there, now and then, to this one and that one. A benign but mischievous creature very fond of rumpots, crackpots, and how are you, Mr. Wilson?' How are you Mr. Wilson!? When the encyclopedia wants to know.!" -Marvin Wilson, reading the definition of pooka
