I was given three movies to choose from. Gold, Christopher Robin and Juliet, Naked; in that order. I picked Christopher Robin. My husband immediately said that he knew I would. Too right, he was. Never hurts to watch a fantasy feel-good movie with stuffed animals that talk and have adorable names, especially on a rainy and quiet Saturday afternoon. It didn’t hurt that Ewan McGregor was in it as well. I have a fair number of stuffed toys in my home office. I speak to them but they haven’t responded, not yet anyway, and they too have names. So, choosing Christopher Robin was an obvious giveaway.  And, what a good choice it was. I thoroughly enjoyed the movie. For me a mark of a good movie is one that I want to watch again.

I am one of those people who cannot read the same book or watch any movie twice. Not now, anyway. I can’t seem to focus or gather enough enthusiasm for a second anything, except desserts. To be honest, I did watch one Hindi movie, ‘Bobby’ five times. Why? I was a teenager with bad taste and a bad crush on the hero. I am much older now and a little saner, I hope. Anyways, coming back to watching Christopher Robin again, I haven’t yet and the plan is only to view the bits that I like, which means, by my reckoning, Christopher Robin deserves at least a one-thumb up rating.

Admittedly it took me a little while to warm up to the movie as I didn’t find Winnie-the-Pooh expressive enough, and a little droning. That said, it was a lot of fun watching Pooh with Christopher Robin and pals, Piglet, Eeyore and Tigger, Kanga, Roo, Owl and Rabbit in the Hundred Acre Wood.

What really won me over were the clever, funny phrases that Pooh casually sprouts all through the movie. I have several that struck many cords with me.

Amongst the quotes[1] include:

Winnie the Pooh: What day is it? 

Christopher Robin: It’s today. 

Winnie the Pooh: My favourite day.

Christopher Robin: I wonder which way. 

Winnie the Pooh: I always get where I’m going by walking away from where I’ve been. 

Christopher Robin: Do you? 

Winnie the Pooh: That’s the way I do it.

Christopher Robin: There’s more to life than balloons and honey! 

Winnie the Pooh: Are you sure?

My version would be:

Christopher Robin: There’s more to life than chocolates and cakes! 

Winnie the Pooh: Are you sure?

And my all-time favourites are:

Winnie the Pooh: People say nothing is impossible, but I do nothing every day. 

Winnie the Pooh: Doing nothing often leads to the very best kind of something.

I so like the earnest off-the-wall responses that Pooh comes up with. I laugh, and then laugh some more at the simplicity of it all.

I am not sure what doing nothing every day means. Does it mean not going to work every day and not earning a salary, not for Pooh, of course, but us real people? Does it means lazing around every day? If it does then I haven’t actually tried it because there is always something to do each day. Even on a holiday, when doing ‘nothing’ is more acceptable, we are going somewhere or doing something, albeit, idly or lazily, but there is still activity. I am a fidget by nature so I get fidgety when I sit around doing nothing or while waiting for something to happen or for someone to arrive.  I can’t help but feel that I almost need permission to just stare into space and do absolutely nothing just for one day, leave alone every day. I have worked all my life, and I have a bit tucked away for my old age. Don’t really need to work and save more. So, what’s my problem?

For me, I put it down to legacy issues.  My over 80-year old mum says she has overslept when she wakes up at 6am. She gets out of bed already late for the day.  For my mum, doing nothing, is not an option. So her apple hasn’t fallen far from the tree. I am an insomniac and there are days when I feel exhausted from lack of sleep. Despite feeling like I could sleep some more in the morning, I force myself to get out of bed so I can get on with the day’s schedule. I have no deadlines or targets to meet except the ones I set for myself, which honestly, are flexible. I know it’s counter-productive to my general well-being but sleeping feels like doing nothing, which in a way, it is but is not.  Sleep is really a doing nothing that leads to the very best kind of something. It rests, rejuvenates and makes me a happier, more likeable human being. But, I still nudge myself awake. Silly me. Aiyoh!

Massages, facials, reading a good book, walking, holidays, eating and just being may seem like doing nothing or indulging but they have, and do make me feel good. I need a change in mind-set, because really as Pooh says doing nothing often leads to the very best kind of something.  High five Pooh.