Dr . Ryan Kilgore is obsessed with his father. Abandoned as an infant, the adult Kilgore sets out to find his father and deliver a piece of his mind. “I have hated you my whole life, and I have carried this rage all these years, hurting everyone around me because of you,” is the message he wants to give. The story of Kilgore’s quest, and the resulting healing he experiences, is presented in a new movie from Hay House: “Tales of Everyday Magic: My Greatest Teacher”.
The movie, based on the life of inspirational author Wayne Dyer, works on two levels. First it’s a detective story. We initially meet Kilgore holding a picture of his father at his grandmother’s funeral. Perhaps here Kilgore will have that long awaited confrontation. When his father is not there we follow Kilgore through a series of synchronistic events, uncovering one clue after another as to where his father might be. I was drawn into the film, wondering how this would all lead to Kilgore’s father.
The more important message of the movie, though, is on the spiritual level. As we follow Kilgore on his journey he encounters clues to where his father might be, along with bits of wisdom from the strangers he meets. “Before embarking on revenge, better dig two graves,” a waitress tells him, after a bar patron comments on Kilgore’s “serious beef”. It seems that waitresses Kilgore meets are the ones that deliver the most potent lines. And isn’t that the way in our lives, when we get spiritual messages from ordinary people we meet in everyday life. Spiritual lessons do not always have to come from a church.
In the end Kilgore finds his Dad’s grave, and as he is releasing all the anger he has held for so many years he has an epiphany. A sudden understanding of who is father really was, followed by a flow of love and understanding. “Dad I see you now. I see what you really are. Not an enemy. You’re my teacher.”
All of us no doubt have been hurt by one person or another in our lives. Sometimes this pain can run deep, like Ryan Kilgore’s. I recommend watching “My Greatest Teacher” as it will lead you, as it did for me, to take another look at the people who have hurt you in the past. Maybe, like the fictional Ryan Kilgore in the movie, you’ll see them in a new light. And be thankful for the lesson they taught you.
Comments
Thanks Tim. A Wonderful reflection of the movie. As you concluded, if there is one thing that this movie has taught me, then it is to forgive and release the pain that I carry for the people who have hurt me. At the end, when Ryan experiences a connection with his father and as he is talking to his father and then he suddenly experiences the flow of the wind around him….. well that is certainly not fiction. I experience it all the time. It is the way God or our higher self talk to us. Incredible Movie!!
Author
I appreciate your comment, Amod. I didn’t notice the flow of wind at the end during Ryan’s forgiveness “moment”. Good observation. This is a movie where you pick up on different messages with multiple viewings. – Tim
Pingback: Wayne Dyer’s I Can See Clearly Now (book review) | Tim Larison