This is a quote from one of my favorite movies, Red.  One of the characters grabs a woman as they leave the airport claiming she is a government agent and following them.  He decides he will kill her.  Another character persuades him that she is just what she claims to be, a real estate agent.  Later it turns out the first character was correct as the “real estate agent” shoots them with a missile launcher.  Here is where the quote comes in.

Truth or Paranoia

For those of us with bipolar, post traumatic stress, anxiety or panic issues loss of trust can be really devastating.  We don’t trust easily because so many people have judged us harshly and unfairly.  We are called lazy, manipulators and hypochondriacs.  We are accused of playing emotional games, faking it, and making it up.  We hear it so often that we can begin to question the reality of how we feel.

“They don’t know what’s going on inside your head — the mind-numbing cocktail of anger and sadness and guilt”

Pretenders and Angels

We all have Pretenders in our lives.  For all intents and purposes they look like who they claim to be.  Someone who cares, understands, is helpful, etc.  They are often people we have come to trust.  I don’t know what motivates these Pretenders.  They convince us they are someone we can trust only to be someone who will take advantage and hurt us.

There are a few who seem unkind and rude only to show they truly care.  These are not Pretenders. They are Angels.  They do things that upset or make us feel inadequate and we often hate them for it.  They do not go away which can be even more frustrating.  There are people in my life  that I have wondered for years if they stay around just to annoy me or drive me crazy.  Looking back, however, I see how much they must care to put up with my anger and rudeness as they have carefully guided me into places and situations that have greatly improved my life.

Watch a Great Movie

The cast of Red reads like a Who’s Who: Bruce Willis, Mary-Louise Parker, Morgan Freeman, Helen Mirren, Karl Urban, Ernest Borgnine and John Malkovitch.  The action is great, the characters are fun and the story is simple.  Don’t be judgemental and just watch it for the fun.  In one part of the movie where you meet John Malkovitch’s character you are reminded that even though someone is paranoid it doesn’t mean they are making it up.

Have a great Monday and let me know what you think of the movie.