As a mythologist I feel there is no greater medium than TV and film. The stories told via the media impact and influence literally billions of people. Television and movie screens are the flickering fires where we gather and hear the stories of the people—to be entertained, yes and hopefully glean something that will enlighten the human condition. Television, for good or bad, has become the hearth of the home. It is the fire we light when we walk in our cave door. Movie houses are the “cathedrals” of our day as more people attend the ritual of cinema than all the churches combined. As conscious consumers, we must demand more. We must demand better. We must demand life-affirming mythology instead of fear-based mythology. We must support the life-affirming stories and the artists who create them. There’s no better way to do that than to beat the tom-toms and signal each other when we come upon something that affirms, touches, moves, and yes, entertains us.

Such is the case with the documentary, All Aboard! Rosie's Family Cruise, which began airing this month on HBO. I had seen the title numerous times but always passed over it. Truthfully, the only thing I don’t like about this film is the title. All Aboard! is the most life-affirming story I’ve seen in. . .well, way too long. More . . .