if you found a body, what would you do?

Frank and I went to the movies on Tuesday night. It's been a long time coming! I originally had a free ticket that ran out last Saturday - over the school holidays there were no good movies to watch, then a good movie came along but we were too sick and tired to go, so we lost the free ticket but we made it in the end. It turned into a bit of a date night, with tea at a Thai restaurant and then the movie. Lovely.

The Aussie movie "Jindabyne" was deep and thought provoking. Four blokes go on a fishing trip. When they arrive at the river one of them finds a woman's body in the water. They're all a bit freaked out and don't know what to do but decide to push ahead with their original plan - the next day they tie the body to a tree so it won't get lost then start their fishing. On returning to civilisation they report the body and life goes on. Except it would never be the same again. Things start to unravel, including friendships and a marriage. The past comes back to haunt them all as they face the terrible thing they have done.

Frank and I have been talking about the movie a lot - so many themes to ponder. It reminds me of school, studying Huckleberry Finn, drawing out the rich characters and themes. If I was an English teacher I'd set this movie as a compulsary 'text' for study. Strength, racism, love, history, baggage, relationships, death, character, honesty - they're all there.

What would I have done if I'd found the body in such a remote place?
Kept on going with life?
How much compassion do I have for people I don't know?
And what about respect?
Am I so wrapped up in myself I would step over another person's tragedy?
Do I have the courage to admit the terrible things I've done and apologise?
Are there unresolved issues from my past that I need to deal with?
Can I face who I really am?

This was a movie that moved us deeply. I don't want to watch it and forget. I want to identify those things that challenged and moved me, figure out what they brush against in my own life, and ensure that I am someone who responds in the right way when faced with someone else's tragedy.