One of my all-time favorite movies is the 80’s cult classic, The Princess Bride! Further, one of my all-time favorite characters is the one played by Billy Crystal. Remember Miracle Max?What a hoot! Perhaps one of the best lines in the movie is the one where he defines “Mostly Dead.” It goes like this: “It just so happens that your friend here is only MOSTLY dead. There’s a big difference between mostly dead and all dead. Mostly dead is slightly alive.”
Now in the movie, this line was delivered to convey hope in the face of a seemingly hopeless situation. One of the curious things about Miracle Max is that he could conceal his doubt behind a mask of false positivity and do it quite well. As funny as that line is, it contains a powerful truth that must be considered.
The final sentence says, “Mostly dead is slightly alive.” See? He was working to build a sense of confidence that things would turn out alright for their friend, even if he didn’t believe it himself. As comical as this sentence is, I find the final two words extremely challenging – Slightly Alive!
How many of us conduct ourselves from a “Slightly Alive” perspective? Slightly alive obscures the beauty of sunsets. Slightly alive avoids conflict. Slightly alive overlooks the profoundly simple. Slightly alive fails to recognize opportunities to serve. Slightly alive misses kisses. Slightly alive ignores hugs. Slightly alive eschews risk. Slightly alive builds walls. Slightly alive burns bridges. Slightly alive closes doors. Slightly alive embraces mediocrity. Slightly alive casts doubt. Slightly alive obscures truth. Slightly alive deflects praise. Slightly alive obfuscates fact. Slightly alive passes judgement. Slightly alive lives in the shadows. Slightly alive is . . . well . . . slightly alive.
May we love more honestly; give more liberally; serve more humbly; listen more carefully; live more completely! Let’s avoid Mostly Dead!
Peace!
Mark E. Hundley
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