I am in need of peace and quiet. Watched two movies recently that brought that message hurtling home. The first was The Wolf of Wall Street. No one has ever accused director Martin Scorcese of a light touch or oozing subtlety.

The movie is one of those that plays to investors’ worst fears about what really happens on Wall Street. We see a sleazy operator who turned the hopes and dreams of countless minor investors into dust.

The debauchery and machinations of Jordan Belfort’s short dance upon the stockbrokers’ stage were unsettling and hard to watch. It was entertaining only in the sense that it provided insights into a world many of us will never encounter. The sensible among us would never want to.

Then I moved on to Babylon. No relief there either. The film opens with an elephant transportation problem exacerbated by the beast’s diarrhea (or so it was graphically depicted.)
I was heartened to see Brad Pitt and Margot Robbie on the marquee as they are both stellar actors and personal favorites. But the movie’s cachet ended there. A lot of naked bodies and scenes of debauchery and histrionic acting. Exhausting to watch.

I use to enjoy living life to excess. My motto was: “Everything in moderation, especially moderation.” I was so desperate not to feel desperate painful feelings. I cozied up to and crawled into an alarming number of booze bottles over an excessive number of years.

Finally kicked booze some 20+ years ago, but that was the easy part. The hard part was facing all the feelings I had been trying to suppress by drinking to excess. I spent. alot of time in nightclubs when I was young. Dancing hard. Drinking hard. Laughing way too loud and for far too long.

Every image. I have in my mind’s eye now is focused on creating consistent peace and quiet. Not boredom but peace and quiet. The two are sometimes confused. I have never been bored a day in my life. With all there is to learn and to know, I cannot even understand how anyone could ever be. Simple laziness and lack of imagination as far as I am concerned.

So it is ironic that in seeking simple peace and quiet, I ran into these two movies. There is this tendency in Hollywood these days to overblow everything or blow everything up. A recent New Yorker piece talked about how Marvel Comics has taken over and come to dominate Hollywood. No secret to that. Eager audiences. Easy money.

The new house we are moving into backs onto a forest. It may be the forest that sold us on the place. Or the pool. In any case, I have been craving an oasis vibe in my living space for most of my life.

I’ve discovered the secret to peaceful living is holding back. Taking your time before making decisions. Savoring the savory dish in front of you or the tinkling ice in the cool beverage you are drinking. Balance in as many elements of your life as possible.

I know for sure there is very little peace to be found in modern Hollywood storylines. Maybe that was alright and is alright to burn off the excess energy of youth. But I don’t really believe that. In a society where excess and living large outranks every other consideration, messy, messianic movies like The Wolf of Wall Street and Babylon are natural consequences. Everyone can handle being jazzed up for an hour or two. But it is not a natural place to live a life.

I am very happy I can reserve the right to not actively partake in the delusions portrayed in these films. I can take them or leave them. Feed my curiosity or taste for the mundane. Then I can turn the movies off, turn on my nightly sleep meditation and enjoy the peace and quiet of a good night’s sleep.