On Being Unbroken

I'm a writer. I'm an avid reader. Books teach me things about life. I gain something from almost everything I read whether it was academic knowledge or life lessons. Harry Potter for example taught me that friendship and family and love are three of the most important things a person can have. When I first read Laura Hillenbrand's extraordinary biography of Louie Zamperini I learned that you are more resilient that you think. Few of the books I've read in my short existence have changed my life and Unbroken was one. Then the film came out and it sealed the deal.

I went to go see the movie on Christmas break the day after Christmas with my parents and grandparents. My grandpa and dad and I had read the book so we were familiar with Louie's story. My grandpa actually had seen Louie speak in Houston a few months after he read the book. There was a line for the movie even at the theater we had to drive twenty minutes to because it was the only one we could get tickets at for that day. As I sat and watched I was amazed at how well made the film was but I was also amazed how through it all Louie never gave in. At the end of the movie not only had I decided Louie was my hero but there was this moment where the whole theater was silent for a split second and then started applauding. I had never seen that happen and it was so profound. I doubt I ever will see a moment like that in a cinema again.

After seeing the movie I fell in love with the personality of Louie Zamperini (and it also doesn't hurt that he was quite a good looking guy in his youth too!). How someone could have gone through all he did and have the strength to offer forgiveness to those that hurt him as much as they did amazed me. Last year I had some time to extend forgiveness to a few people myself but what they had done was nowhere near on the scale of what Louie forgave. I wish I had gotten a chance to meet Louie. If I did I probably would tell him that he is such an inspiration to my life and hugged him. His story has taught me more about resilience than any other book.

But what does that mean? To be Unbroken? Well, if you think simply it means to be not broken. But as a writer I'm also a self proclaimed philosopher so to me being unbroken goes hand in hand with resilience. Resilience is one of the best weapons a person can wield. It makes individuals amazing and helps them inspire others. To me anyone can be Unbroken if they onn't let anything get to them. Life sucks sometimes but if you can take it you can make it. I've met so many people who have taught me this from a young age but in that theater I knew I chose to be Unbroken for life.

So thank you Laura Hillenbrand for contributing to my self discovery and thank you to Louie for living the life he did and being as amazing as he was. I hope to be half the person he was.