In the film 50 First Dates, Lucy (Drew Barrymore) has a form of amnesia that means every night she forgets everything that happened that day. Each morning, she wakes up believing it’s the same day, the day of the accident that caused her condition.
Henry (Adam Sandler) likes Lucy. And Lucy likes Henry. But there’s a problem. Because she met him after her accident, every night she forgets he exists.
This means that every day, Henry has to win Lucy’s heart from scratch, hence 50 First Dates. There’s a wider meaning to this premise.
If you woke up with no recollection of who you were and what you did, would you choose your life from scratch?
From a blank slate, would you choose your partner, your work, your location and physique? How about your energy and mindset? Would you happily and actively select them from a lineup of all possible options? If someone described your life to you, would it sound like one you wanted to live?
When we’re settled in one direction, we don’t realise that others are still available, but they are. At any moment you can stop something and start again.
This 50 First Dates premise applies to everything. Your life should be perfectly crafted for you, so much so that you would choose every part of it every day.
Your version of paradise might be someone else’s version of hell. My chosen life includes hill sprints and early nights. A friend’s includes high heels and Pomeranian puppies. Whatever is your jam is perfect, just make sure it truly is your jam before continuing to live it.
Lucy’s amnesia meant that every day she forgot how she lived. Our amnesia means we can forget it’s all a choice.
