Have you ever watched The Shawshank Redemption? If you have, then you have great taste in movies, my friend. If you haven’t—well… I envy you, and I have a movie suggestion for you.

Synopsis of the movie

The movie tells the story of an inmate who was framed for murder and sentenced to life in prison. While there, he meets a friend, Red, who is played by the legendary actor (Morgan Freeman). They both hold very different views about hope. Andy believes that hope is a beautiful thing. Red, on the other hand, is a pessimist who strongly feels that hope is a dangerous thing—a man who spent most of his life behind bars for a crime he actually committed.

More on hope

Not to spoil the movie for anyone—despite it being over 30 years old—I want to linger on the concept of hope.

We all need hope in our lives, whether you’re an Andy-type person who believes that “hope is a beautiful thing,” or a Red-type person who feels that “hope is a dangerous thing.” There is an Arabic verse of poetry that says, “If it weren’t for the space of hope, life would be insufferable.” I’ve taken some creative liberty with the translation.

A moment to reflect 

I, for one, feel like I’m down on my luck—that things aren’t exactly going my way. That’s why I must remain hopeful: that better things will come and better days will arrive.

One must remain patient, as patience is a virtue. Sadly, I am not a very patient man.

Last words

I’m writing these thoughts with the hope of returning to them later, in a different situation—where they can stand as a testament to how life keeps moving and never stops, and serve as a reminder that nothing truly lasts.