Northern Exposure Random Musing

One of my favorite Northern Exposure episodes had a local Indian Shaman doing some research in the small town of Cicley Alaska, the setting of the show. It turns out Native American medicine held great power in the healing properties of stories. Medicine men would often tell specific stories to their patients to help them with whatever was ailing them. These stories were very effective in helping them with their patients. This particular medicine man was in Cicely to see if western medicine had something similar. He began to interview the various citizens to find out if white people had their own healing stories.

Running parallel to this storyline was local aspiring filmmaker, and budding shaman in training, Ed Chigliak is hired to put together a film festival to rival Sundance. He was not successful and found himself lost in despair. He was not alone. The visiting shaman found no similar healing stories from the local residents. Dejected, he went to find Ed to say his goodbyes. He found Ed seeking solace in a darkened theater watching Citizen Kane. He asked Ed why he was there. Ed told him when he felt bad, he could always count on watching Citizen Kane to make him feel better. The shaman had found what he was looking for. The stories he was searching for were being projected on a silver screen or found in people's living rooms inside TV's. I always liked that way of looking at movies.

Feeling better and sitting in the aisle.