Restoration

I once read somewhere that no two individuals ever read the same book. I, however, am of the view that it goes far beyond that. Perception does not vary with entities alone, but with experience too. It is a three dimensional case. Perception on one axis with a being on the other doesn’t completely define the problem for there’s a third parameter that needs inclusion: Time.

We’ve all been there where we were put into hypothetical situations, the ones we had never experienced before, and were asked about our reactions to actions. For instance, what would you do if you found a dead man, drenched in blood, lying on your kitchen floor? Would you scream or help or blackout? You can make your guesses considering who you are as a person but can never predict because your reaction to such an action can only be found in the moment. A person might say he’d help for he considers himself to be brave, but in the moment would find himself numb, or vice versa. Hence, it is safe to say that actions define individuals.

Spotlight is a reporting team of investigative journalists working for The Boston Globe. During 2001-2002 the team investigated numerous cases of child abuse at the hands of priests in Boston. The five people in that team held on to their conscience, decided to take the right path and went head on against one of the strongest institutions of their country and came out victorious. Their findings were devastating for the said community for they proved the top hierarchy of the Church was fully aware of the situation and covered it up for decades. In 2015 a movie by the name of the same team was released that chronicled Spotlight’s fight for the truth. They even awarded the movie with an Oscar.

Last night I watched the movie for the third time but the story hadn’t changed one bit. However, I cannot say the same about the way I perceived it. Whenever I re-read a book or re-watch a movie and get this feeling of renewed perception, I tell myself that I am a more learned man than the man who last read it or watched it.

But the third parameter, time, is at work.

What will you do if find yourself at the crossroads where your interests are in conflict with your guiding principles? Will you take the right path or the easy path? The right path, surely. What if I tell you that choosing the right path by standing up for your principles will lead to the annihilation of your life’s work, your wealth or even worse, your respect? Would you still choose it? You might still take your chances. But, what if I tell you that sticking to your principles to make the right decision will lead to circumstances where you will start doubting your own beliefs, your own principles and the ideologies that you hold dear? That’s where the trouble begins.

I grew up in an Army man’s house where I was taught the importance of truthfulness, honor, fairness and courage. I was taught to choose failure over unfairness, to choose truth over blood. I held on to those principles wherever I went and came out victorious. But among all those victories what I didn’t learn was that the consequences wouldn’t always be in my favor. My naivety led me to the pit where the consequences of my presumably right decisions made me doubt my own beliefs, my own principles and, the ideologies that I held so dear and was so proud of. And when I call it a pit, I really mean it because it is filled with darkness, despair, misery, gloom and hopelessness and, most of all, is devoid of self-worth. No one deserves to be in that place.

But the third parameter, time, is at work, yet again.

Spotlight, to the naked eye, is a story of a war between right and wrong. It’s just another movie in which the good guys fight off the bad guys to seek the truth but the fact that is being ignored here is that those five people exist along with the countless people who got abused, and so does the powerful institution.

My renewed perception looked deep into the steadfastness for their decisions, their commitment to their goals and their handling of the crushing pressure. They were Christians, they questioned and doubted their own beliefs, yet they acted against their own institution because of one reason and one reason alone: It was the right thing to do, and in the end that’s all that really matters.