Fabulous Fish Tote and Some Thoughts on The Invention of Lying

Here's the latest installment in my large tote bag series. The Large Fabulous Fish Tote is fun, bright, and ready for summer adventures! I love its clean, crisp lines and the way the coral sneaks in at the corner. I just listed it in my Etsy shop, bringing my large tote tally to 31. I plan to keep them coming!

I put the finishing touches on it while watching The Invention of Lying, which I'd been meaning to rent. As the title implies, it's the story of a world where lies don't exist. The movie opens with the loserish Mark (Ricky Gervais) on a first date with the beautiful Anna (Jennifer Garner). Right away she tells him that she's not attracted to him and that she probably won't have a good time. Then, when he asks if she likes her job, she says no, but that she makes a lot of money, which allows her to buy things she likes. The entire evening rolls on in this vein, culminating the following day when Anna emails Mark that she's out of his league.

I found the premise incredibly interesting. On the surface, Anna seems cold, even callous. But there's no malice in anything she says , just honesty. It made me realize just how much of our daily lives revolve around lies. We tell lies to protect people's feelings, to protect our own feelings, to stay out of trouble, and to maintain the all-important illusion that everything is fine and that we are the people that everyone else expects us to be. I found this lie-less, ultimate it-is-what-it-is world to be kind of refreshing. After all, it takes a lot of energy to keep up a facade all the time; wouldn't we feel so much freer if we just agreed to drop the act? I'm not saying that such a world wouldn't be without its problems - but it would be interesting, and in many ways, less complicated.

The movie's real drama begins when Mark tells his dying mother that her life isn't over, that there's an afterlife where she'll enjoy eternal happiness and live in a mansion. The doctor overhears him, word spreads, and soon everyone demands to know all about this heaven that Mark made up. Now, this is where the movie takes a very religious turn. I think it's best for me not to discuss it, because 1) I made a pact with myself that I wouldn't write about religion, politics, or my day job in this blog, and because 2) I'm not entirely sure what I think about it myself. But it was certainly thought-provoking. If you're the kind of person who is intrigued by looking under rocks, then you'll enjoy it.