No Prosthetic for an Amputated Spirit
Posted on June 22, 2021 by Randa El Zein, One of Thousands of Life Coaches on Noomii.
A story about Al Pacino, Scent of a woman and life coaching.
“I’ve been around, ya know? There was a time I could see. And I have seen. Boys like these, younger than these. Their arms torn out, their legs ripped off. But there is nothing like the sight of an amputated spirit. There’s no prosthetic for that.“- Lt. Col. Frank Slade (Al Pacino in Scent of a Woman)
The first time I watched this movie, I was probably no more than 14. I remember that day very well. I was up alone late on a school night…sitting on the floor in front of the TV mesmerized by Al Pacino’s character and sobbing away.
It tells the story of Charlie, a college student who takes a job as an assistant to a blind, retired Army officer. The colonel (Frank played by Al Pacino) plans to spend the last days of his life doing crazy things he always wanted to do. At some point, he calls it quits and wanted to end his life, but young Charlie revives hope in him again. The plot gets thicker as Charlie faces a dilemma at college and the colonel helps him get through it.
This movie was where I learned the word ‘integrity’ and had a voracious appetite for vocabulary and reading ever since. It was where I fell in love with Tango, making me take ballroom dancing lessons throughout my life. It was because of this movie, that I was more attracted to older men and was always on the lookout for the Al Pacino of my life… a man who would be to me, what Al Pacino was for Charlie. A mentor, a life coach, a believer who saw more in him than he would see in himself. This is also why most of my closest friends males or females are much older than me. You really never know what it is that you would read, watch, or experience that would impact or change your life forever.
Little did that 14-year-old girl know that by the time she was 41, she’d end up being an Al Pacino for so many younger women! And I feel so blessed because I agree with the quote…there’s absolutely nothing that would crush me like the sight of an amputated spirit.
So the plan for me is to serve through coaching, my books, and the retreats I’ll be running until the end of my days…it’s a gift I have that I’m so passionate about. I also learned that it is stealing when you learn something but never share or pass it along. I promise those waiting for my book, that you’ll be reading it before the end of this year.
And in the meantime…the search for my Al Pacino continues.
