If it Wasn’t Tragic

The screen went blank. The people started to shuffle to the exits. Some stayed, knowing that after the ten to fifteen minutes of credits, there was a nugget of truth to explore in a snippet revealing a succeeding film.

“I’m telling you to wait for it,” Sion commanded.

“Okay but we’ve got to get going, I’ve got—” Brennan Cousins said.

“Shhh! Here it is,” Sion pointed out.

After the final bit, Sion and Cousins departed from the theater.

“Well that was depressing,” Cousins said. The two friends walked from the theater in downtown Wilmington, Delaware.

“I know,” Sion admitted. “I thought it was going to be more uplifting.”

“Are you talking about the film or the piece at the end of the credits?”

“Now, I’m thinking of both. The movie sort of dragged and I thought the short piece would kind of be more affirming but I felt that it lacked in the area of positivity,” Sion explained.

“If it wasn’t so tragic….”

Sion shook his head. “Since literature had transcribed the erection of the city of New York, artists have been compelled to destroy it and its inhabitants. From King Kong to Independence Day, producers, directors, and writers have dreamed up ways to see destruction of the greatest city in the world,” Sion explained.

“That’s the tragedy. Just to contemplate how we came from the ashes of 9/11 and we’re still destroying NYC,” Cousins pointed out.

“And people on that day and afterward said, ‘they couldn’t believe it’ or that it was ‘unthinkable.’ How? dozens of books, movies, and TV shows depict multiple buildings being targeted or destroyed. The jihadists figured they didn’t need to use a bomb on the planes, they just needed to use the planes as bombs, or missiles to be more exact. It’s amazing to me that we continue to put up imagery of buildings collapsing instead of going up in the sky,” Sion said.

“I don’t know. I sort of like the fact we can tear down buildings on the screen rather than in real life,” Cousins admitted.

“You’re serious? For all the people….” Sion started.

“I know. That’s what I’m saying. Let it be on page, stage, and screen but not in reality. Let it be man made for creation rather than destruction,” Cousins explained.

“I still hold that we shouldn’t even convey the idea of obliterating lives and property unless the people deserve it morally. I don’t even want anyone but evil doers to be wiped out in huge numbers. We have to clear away for an ideal future. Let that be the province of art. It may not be good art to just gratuitously level landmarks but there should be no legislation against it.”

“With what we know now, we should be able to secure a place within history….” Sion struggled.

“Make it plain….” Cousins suggested.

“What I’m saying is that with our knowledge of what happened, it takes a great amount of effort to support art that challenges the defeatist idea that so many works espouse,” Sion said.

“Oh,” Cousins replied.

“You understand?” Sion asked.

“I think so, but I would rather experience art that projects the winner as good and moral and upright. That’s first. Then make him or her intriguing and cool. They would be able to stop the wreckage of lives and property all in one swoop,” Cousins mentioned.

“Nobody makes stuff like that anymore,” Sion observed.

“That doesn’t mean we can’t start now. We can begin with forming our own production studio.”

“Yes, with our billions.”

“Hell, we can use our phones and an LLC. The playing field has shifted.”

“You might have a point,” Sion admitted.

“I would say,” Cousins said. The two friends got up from their theater seats and exited.