Life is Not the Same As the Movies

You know those movies like Boondock Saints or Lock Stock that portray the UK and Ireland and these places on this side of the ocean as the breeding ground for loud, cursing, beat-you-to-a-pulp “tossers” who won’t hesitate to be loud, curse and beat you to a pulp? Well, I’m learning that, not only are we strongly influenced by what we see in the movies but those scenes are not always completely accurate. Shocking on both counts, right?

The other night on our way home from dinner, we stopped at the local petrol station to buy some more briquettes for the fire (since I had used up what we had to decorate the living room). And while my husband was inside, lovingly seeing if they had anymore of their seemingly innocuous but simply decadent and diabetic-coma inducing Bakewell Tarts, a car whipped in front of me, right in front of the door to the station. Before the car had even come to a complete stop, three of its doors flew open. FLEW! Like with wings! Three rather large guys jumped out, loud and cursing, and ran into the store in a manner that one would associate with those stupid movies. The workers, who were pumping gas for their customers like it was 1962 in South Carolina (something I actually liked), looked around, slightly jittery. And I sat there. Wondering why I was even the least bit concerned, I watched the door and waited for my husband to return, hoping it would be without a bloody nose and sans wallet. Well, I wasn’t actually thinking that, but it gets the point across. And instead of seeing him walk out, I saw one of the guys from the car. But he wasn’t as large as I remembered. In fact, it was a kid. He was maybe 13. Why hadn’t I noticed this before? Wasn’t it possible that the guys in the car had to use the restroom? Or were really thirsty? Or were really excited to get some Taytos or bacon waffle crisps (which are just amazing, by the way. Be jealous that they don’t have them in the States)? Why did my mind automatically think they were the beat-you-to-a-pulp guys?

Movies and television have too much influence on us. What I mean by this is that there are so many people who do not travel for whatever reason. Their only knowledge of the world is through the media they ingest. And while I’ve always been open-minded and I like learning about new places and experiencing new things, I am ashamed to admit that movies have had an impact on what I expect from this country. That and my husband telling me that everyone from Dublin is a tosser. Maybe everyone from Dublin IS a tosser. But shouldn’t I let them mug me before I come to that conclusion?