Inside Out

I recently saw a new animated movie called Inside Out. I had no idea what it was about but wanted to go with my younger kids, Evan and Katy. I was drawn in within minutes when a scene opened with a baby and the question was asked, “Do you ever wonder what is going on inside the head of a young baby?”

The emotions in the movie were joy, sadness, fear, anger and disgust. Babies and people carry these emotions inside but sometimes can’t show them or won’t show them. The first time your child smiles or coos is so heartwarming. But what if you had all these emotions but couldn’t express them? Welcome to what an ALS patient experiences at some point during their journey. I hate to think of what it will be like not to be able to express my emotions like joy, love, sadness and a host of others. I’m slowly losing my voice, which really sucks, but an even larger part of communicating is nonverbal. As a salesperson for many years, non-verbal communication was extremely important.

Thankfully, the Steve Gleason Act was recently passed and allows technology in the form of communication devices to get in the hands of all those that need it. Now I know I will always have a voice to speak to my loved ones. Tears won’t be an issue but not being able to laugh or smile will be a drag. ALS steals so much, but having all those emotions inside that I will want to express out might be the most frustrating thing.

The Lion King is my all-time favorite animated movie but Inside Out really spoke to me on another level. They may make these animated movies for kids, but most of them are better than any movie made for an adult.