To Belong

       Belonging: that's what most of our life's journey is about. We all want to belong, but not many realize that, to fit into a group, you must first find your place (where you belong) within yourself. In other words, belonging depends on acceptance; therefore, to be able to be accepted by another group, we must discover and, subsequently, accept ourselves first. Discovering who we are is the first and most important stage of learning where to belong. Who do I want to be? What kind of person do I want to be. Once that is figured out (not without many needed hardships along the way), we belong, not only in light of ourselves, but also in light of others. Running Brave, the 1983 film based on the true story of Billy Mills a North American Indian who grew up in a reservation and after plenty of soul searching went on to be one of the greatest runners in the world, is a film that deals with the search for both social and personal belonging throughout life's journey.        

Image retrieved from:
http://www.amazon.com/Running-Brave-POSTER-
Movie-Inches/dp/B00KK6GVIO

        Throughout the film we see how the main character, Billy Mills shifts from one cultural background to the other, identifying himself with each one while trying to find in which he belongs. For example, Mills is of half-White, half-Indian origin which denotes the character's identity struggle. Billy grew up in the reservation with Indian customs, but when he became a college-bound man, his situation shifted him to the "White" (as referred to in the film) community. Accordingly, said group has different customs in which Billy (later at his dismay or ease) finds himself immersed. Furthermore, he then, having quit running, finds himself back on the reservation promoted by the disappointment he felt towards the people in his surrounding and their actions as well as his unhappiness. Nevertheless, not being able to disappoint his people and face a traumatic experience upon his return to the reservation, he enlists in the army where he starts arduously training to achieve his dream: participating in the 1964 Tokyo Olympics.       

       That being the case, the moment of Billy's change back to hope and spirit is the decisive moment where he finds where he belongs personally and socially. In that precise moment when Billy regains his dream of running in the Olympics as a part of Team USA, he finds and accepts where he belongs. He realizes he isn't Indian or White. He's both; half and half (just like his origin denotes), and that's what makes him special. This is evident when he recognizes that he's running for his people. Although interpreted as the people in the reservation, by "his people" he means both Indians and White. He's running for his country (the United States of America; his people).         

      Finding who we are and where we belong is a rite of passage that does not discriminate in this journey we call life. The road may certainly be rocky sometimes, but the good thing is that nobody has the answer but each individual. Like Billy, you'll also find your way. 

Check out IMDb's (Internet Movie Database) page for Running Brave here.