The Blind Side

When I was on vacation last week, my family and I rented the movie The Blind Side. The Blind Side is the true story of a boy named Michael who has the perfect genetic endowment of a NFL football player. He is a young boy whose mother won't take care of him and who doesn't know his father. Living on the streets, "Big Mike" is a lonely, quiet boy who is a big friendly giant. At the beginning of the story, before we are introduced to Michael's personality, he is seen roaming the streets in the dark and wearing dark, worn clothing. This was an archetype that jumped out at me while watching the movie without even thinking about it. His big figure and bad reputation made him seem violent and frightening, but throughout the story he is portrayed as a more bright and friendly character. As cheesy and stereotypical as it is, Michael really is an example of the one person in a bad situation who breaks the odds and rises to the top. He is taken in by the Tuohy's, a rich family with a history of graduates from Ole Miss University. With the support of his new family, Michael gets coached and trained at school and becomes a star football player. He is soon offered scholarships from colleges all around the country, but finally settles on Ole Miss.

When I found out during the closing credits that it was based on a true story, it really made me think. I found it interesting that after living in a household full of Ole Miss graduates for only a few months, he chose that school in a heartbeat. It made me realize how much influence your surroundings really do have on a person. I thought: If Michael wasn't living there, he probably never would have chosen to take the scholarship at Ole Miss; but then I realized something else. Without the Tuohy family, Michael probably wouldn't have even finished school, wouldn't have played football, and wouldn't have gone to university.

This movie has really made me think about how where we are from can really influence where we are going. Our surroundings and the people who we surround ourselves with make a greater impact on who we are as people than many people realize.