motionless travel notes

as i've already admitted, i'm obsessed with the diving bell & the butterfly by jean-dominique bauby. my brother richard was in town recently with his wife, girls, & intern. i made them watch the movie (based on the book) with me, & i noticed something i missed before. so i'll comment on it & then maybe you won't have to hear about it after this, at least not for a while :)

bauby used the metaphor of a diving bell to help his audience understand how he felt after a massive stroke that made him the victim of locked-in syndrome (see 11/15 & 12/8 posts). there was a distinct shift in his attitude shortly after doctors apprised him of his condition. acknowledging he still had his memory & imagination, he decided to write a book. the phrase that struck me during the second viewing was bauby's description of his writings as "motionless travel notes." initially, this sounded depressing to me, but it seems to be about perspective. his limitations left him with only one avenue for expression. yet, he at least still had the ability to think & express, & he chose to focus on that rather than the loss of other faculties. another thing that hit home for me more in round 2 was the first part of the title. several times in the film, bauby is shot wearing a diving bell helmet in water & seems to be grasping at nothing. it's such a strong image for how trapped & helpless he feels. but again, the entrapment isn't so severe as to completely destroy his hope... which is why the story's so inspiring. if you haven't read/seen it yet, please do!