Make the Leap of Faith

Who here has seen Brokeback Mountain? Or read the short story by Annie Proulx? If you have, then you probably have an answer to this question: is it better to love and risk feeling the pain of loss than to not love at all?

As a young person, the answer is obvious: why bother with love if in the end you will end up suffering the pain of loss? As a mature person, the answer is simple: you gain nothing by shying away from pain.

I have always believed in the value of experience. To live life is to make mistakes and then learn from them. But to make mistakes means taking risks and having faith that if you screw up, it's not the end of the world. This is where Ennis del Mar comes up short.

The dilemma for Ennis and Jack is that societal constraints appear as insurmountable obstacles. However, should they succeed in overcoming said obstacles, the consequences could be dire.

"...this thing, it grabs hold of us again, at the wrong place, at the wrong time,and we're dead."

As a gay man who has been out of the closet for several years, I understand where Ennis is comin' from. He's afraid, and worried about being judged. Though the term "hate-crime" had not yet been coined, such crimes were still happening. But, Jack's ideas about gettin' together more often and starting up their own ranch illustrate his willingness to live. He had a dream and he was willing to do whatever it took to make it come true. I admire that.

Ennis and Jack lived a lie. They married women, had kids, got jobs. But they didn't allow themselves to love. Or rather, Ennis didn't allow himself to love Jack. Living a lie, you might as well be dead. That's not life, that's a fantasy made real.

I guess what I'm tryin' to say is that it is better to love than to not love at all because life is only so long (yes, I know that's such a cliche). What have you to gain by bottling up your love and experiencing only loneliness? There is great value in makin' that leap of faith no matter where it will lead you.