Willa White's Blog

I just watched a great PBS documentary titled "My Life as a Turkey".  Based on a true story, this hour-long film recounts the experiences of Joe Hutto as he raises a group of wild turkey hatchlings to adulthood.  It was amazing! As a wild turkey "parent", Joe gained special access to a whole world of wildlife interaction and a rare glimpse into the animal kingdom.  Throughout the course of raising the imprinted turkeys, he did not have human contact because he needed to be on hand for his brood.  And he kept a thorough journal of his experiences which was published as the book "Illumination in the Flatwoods" and later recreated in the PBS film "My Life as a Turkey".  I don't want to spoil the movie for you, but I wish to mention some main points of interest for me.  Joe mentions that the wild turkeys chicks "know" what bugs to eat, what predators to stay away from, and what animals are friendly.  ...

Ah, the adventures of parenthood.... as many of you know, they include watching children's films.  And recently my 3-year-old chose "The Lion King". Or he calls it "King Lion".  As a Spiritual Medium, this film caught my attention for a particular reason as I shall detail below. Briefly, it is a Disney animated film that tells the story of Simba, a young lion who is to take his father Mufasa's place as king. However, after Simba's uncle Scar kills Mufasa, he must stop his uncle from conquering the Pride Lands and avenge his father. With its' biblical and Shakespearian themes, this film offers audiences another take on Hamlet albeit a Disneyfied-one.  The voice cast consists of many top talents, including James Earl Jones' deep and distinctive voice of kingly command.  And Elton John wrote the hit songs.  This blockbuster film franchise became a quick favorite with critics and audiences alike, won many awards, and now has a Broadway ver...

One of my favorite movie characters of all time is Elwood P. Dowd.  He is the main character of the delightful 1950 black & white movie "Harvey" (I love old movies!), as depicted by Jimmy Stewart. An extremely compassionate man, Elwood is unfazed by his family's frantic actions to wrestle him into normalcy.  He remains true to himself, exhibiting a rare and easy confidence that the universe is conspiring for his greater good, no matter what his relatives are cooking up.  With his usual eccentric and charming acceptance of events, he has befriended a pooka (in this case a white rabbit that stands 6'3" tall) who many people don't allow themselves to admit seeing. And I find myself frequently thinking on his actions and words, and wishing to model myself after his sentiments.  Here are a few things I've learned (and still learning) from this sweet man: Other people's reality  - "Well, I've wrestled with reality for 35 years, Doctor, and...