Becoming a better person through blogs

Hilary and I watched Julie and Julia tonight. It is a phenomenal movie. It’s fun, well-written, and perfectly acted. In the past few weeks, we’ve seen both Sunshine Cleaning and Night at the Museum 2. These three movies have clenched Amy Adams’s spot as my “plan B.” She is charming and talented in just about every role. Meryl Streep’s Julia Child is spot-on.

The movie is based in part on the story of Julia Child’s work on the culinary masterpiece Mastering the Art of French Cooking with Simone Beck and Louisette Bertholle, which was published in 1961. It is also the story of Julie Powell, a woman in 2002 who to hoped to escape the monotony of her job in a cubicle by blogging her attempts at making every recipe in Child’s monumental cookbook in a year. Both plotlines are based on true stories; Child’s story comes from her autobiography My Life in France, and Powell’s half comes from her blog on salon.com.

This movie got me thinking about the power of writing to do something with one’s life. Julie Powell started a blog that became a phenomenon (and eventually a movie) because she was bored and discontent. There is something powerful about getting your deepest desires out in the open. And I have two friends who are doing just that.

My dear friend Ian became increasingly discontent with certain things in his life. Most notably, he’s tired of being cynical about… well, just about everything. So, he’s embarked on the “Year of Betterment.” Taking on a new experiment every month, Ian is going to face the things he hates about himself head on. It’s going to be an incredibly difficult endeavor, and he could use any and all support that he could get. Check out his blog, subscribe, and comment.

Another friend, Chris, has decided to lose 100 pounds this year. He’s charting his progress at his website, “Boy Meets Treadmill.” His site details his plans for accomplishing his goal, updates on his current weight, and beautifully written accounts of his struggles and victories. Chris is also looking for encouragement and for friends.

Julie and Julia is a story about what happens when you put yourself out there. Sometimes, you might find unimaginable success. But you can be sure that. at the very least, you will find yourself. So, here’s to Ian, to Chris, and to anybody who’s going to put themselves out there this year.

And bon appetit.

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