Spirited Away was the first Miyazaki movie I ever saw and it is still my favorite. It's a mixture of things that makes this Ghibli film my fave (and that's hard because they're all so good): the original and magical storyline, the art, the variety of characters, the music. It's a very nostalgic film. But I think the reason this movie resonates with me so much is Chihiro.
Yubaba tells Chihiro "you are a lazy, spoiled crybaby and you have no manners." Chihiro is upset about moving, a trope very common in movies that I can't personally understand as an Air Force brat. But I think moving to a new town can symbolize any change and I am feeling just that now. From being a completely dependent student to being a graduate that must suddenly make my way in the world was really hard for me to accept and it still is, sometimes. I am really lucky and grateful to have my family be so supportive and help with me so much right now, but there's still so much I'm trying to do independently. I am like Chihiro, at least how she is in the beginning. She was whiny, pessimistic, and had clearly never worked a day in her life. She's suddenly thrown into a world she doesn't understand and it's up to her to save her parents. To do that, she must do physical labor in a bathhouse. Of course she also ends up going on a magical journey, but for much of the movie we see her work at the bathhouse. It's a part that didn't fully resonate with me as a kid because I never had to have a hard job. But I do now.
I've never worked anywhere for as long as I've worked at the Scholastic Warehouse. and even though it's only supposed to be part-time work, it's early, physically difficult, often very hot or very cold, and I am often asked to stay later. For a long time, I was in a rut because of this. I want to be a writer. But I felt too tired, too busy, or too depressed to write. No inspiration at all. I blamed this job. It was too hard for me, and it was so early, I was just tired all the time. For a couple months, I looked for and applied for other jobs, including writing jobs, and had no such luck.
But this is a new year, and I made a very important resolution to dedicate more time for writing. But I need an income now, of course, to pay for all the things that adults need. And this is why I need to be like Chihiro. She had an end goal: to save her parents. I have an end goal: to write a book. For both us, the end goal isn't in sight. Chihiro had no idea how many days or even months she needed to work to save her parents but she continued to work. She put up with a boss that was literally a witch, rude coworkers, scary customers, and backbreaking physical labor. Those are hardly concerns of mine at this job, and no one's life is on the line.
Chihiro grew and developed so much in Spirited Away and I want to grow and develop just as much. I don't want to be afraid of hard work. I need to be braver. And I need to stick up for myself more. I need to be nicer to people because a good friend can really be there for you when you need one. The end may not be in sight and sometimes that's discouraging, but sometimes you just need a period of hard work, inspirational drought, and tough breaks before you get to a really happy time in your life. And I can't wait for that time and so I will work hard now.
There is so much about Spirited Away that I love, but the older I get and the more I watch it, I just want to be more like Chihiro. I will stick this job out and I will make time for what's really important.
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