Chai Time Ruminations

In the movie Titanic (1997), a conversation between Jack and Rose left me pondering a little more than it may have intended to.

Jack Dawson, when describing his life and experiences almost appears as a free bird, which makes Rose reflects on her life and questions Jack, “Why can’t I be like you, Jack? Just head out for the horizon whenever I feel like it?”.
Rose DeWitt-Bukater was a 17-year-old, upper class girl, and was engaged to someone she didn’t love. She isn’t happy with her life and struggled to live within the restrictions brought about by her situation, class and gender.

Was the horizon supposed to be symbolic of something? Maybe Rose sees the horizon as achieving all that one wants with no limitations. Maybe heading for the horizon meant being free, contrary to the life she lived.

It made me realise how often, there are so many things that restrict and hinder us from just living. And heading out for the horizon would mean to rise above these things.


But at the end of the movie, it appears that Rose does indeed head out for the horizon.
The scene where she looks at the statue of liberty,when asked by an officer recording names of survivors, she states her name is Rose Dawson (in efforts to disguise herself and live a new life, she takes on Jack’s last name). It’s not just a name change; it’s a reclamation of self. It’s a testament to the promise she made to Jack, a promise to live a life worthy of the boundless horizon he embodied.

Maybe the horizon isn’t a place after all, it’s the little things in life such as overcoming an obstacle, rising above our miseries.

She has since then lived like she had the horizon at her feet. Nothing can limit us unless we believe it can, we can never reach the horizon (the real horizon, if its a place..) if we have limiting beliefs. And we must also never let ourselves be chained to restrictions and limitations.
The horizon is a place that can be reached only if we rise above our limitations. And just like Jack supported Rose I hope each one of us can support and encourage people and also create a world free of these limitations and restrictions.