Sunday Snippet: Forrest Gump

“My momma always said you’ve got to put the past behind you before you can move on.”

We oftentimes look to the great minds of the Earth for insight. We certainly have a lot to learn from people like Barack Obama and Sir Richard Branson. At the same time, we also have to realize that some of the greatest wisdom can come from the simplest of minds.

It is through the simplified perspective of one Forrest Gump that we come to know so much about ourselves. When he first asks Jenny to marry him, Forrest says that he’s “not a smart man, but i know what love is.”

Oftentimes in life, we get far too caught up in its utter complexities and dive too far into the details. We can lose sight of what is most important: love, family, living in the moment… This is one of the many reasons that Forrest Gump, to this day, remains one of my favorite thoughtful movies. It offers such a deep understanding of the human condition, even if Forrest’s IQ is well below average.

He reminds us that we should learn from our parents. As with the quote above, we find that much of Mr. Gump’s wisdom comes from his mother. Sometimes, in order to take those two vital steps forward, you have to leave that one step back behind you. Look forward, not back. You might remember that it was his “momma” who also told him life was like a box of chocolates.

It is almost because Forrest is so simple-minded that he was able to accomplish so much in his life, even if he does not realize himself how much he managed to accomplish. He became an international ping pong champion, a decorated war veteran, a successful businessman, and a national running phenomenon. Maybe there’s something to this whole ignorance is bliss thing.

And that’s all I have to say about that.