Tracks of My Years (My Birthday Tradition)

On this day, ninety years ago, Norma Jean Mortenson was born. Fifty-two years later, well after she changed her name to Marilyn Monroe and left us mere mortals behind, I was born on the same day of the calendar.

While we share a nameday, clearly Marilyn’s life and mine aren’t on the sam track.

Still, today I partake in an annual tradition on this website.

Once upon a time, Someone I know once suggested I make a list of things I want to do before my next birthday and seal the list in an envelope. Then, the next year I was to open the envelope on my birthday, see what I’d managed to serendipitously accomplish (since most of the list is almost immediately forgotten), and then make a new list.

In truth, these aren’t supposed to be treated as resolutions, or a checklist to finish like the Blindspot Series. It’s more of a quiet hope for the year ahead, to be greeted with amusement or contemplation the next year depending on how things shook down.

This year, in a weird twist, I actually didn’t get to any films from last year’s list. Is that something to fret over? Well, no actually. As it happens I actually watched many of the films I had listed in years past over the last twelve months, just nothing from the post I put up last June.

It be’s that way sometimes.

So while I get outside and enjoy this lovely summer day, let me seal another envelope for the year ahead. The hope is that by next June I will have watched some of the twenty-one movies listed below.

Wish me luck!

AMORES PERROS
THE BIG RED ONE
COCOON
COMING HOME
THE FRESHMAN
HOLY SMOKE!
HOWARD’S END
IL DIVO
IMITATION OF LIFE
KIDS
A LITTLE PRINCESS
THE MOSQUITO COAST
MR. DEATH
NAKED
THE PLAYER
LA POINTE COURTE
PREDATOR
STRAY DOG
SORCERER
SUPER FLY
THEY LIVE