One comment stood out among the avalanche of video clips that media channels played upon the passing of Robert Redford.
An interviewer asked Redford if he were pleased with what he had accomplished. The actor, then in his eighties, but still maintaining his youthful charm, replied that he was.
Of course, skeptics might say that Robert Redford was a superstar, the kind Hollywood used to have but is less common today. He had been a screen presence for sixty years, starring in such memorable classics as Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (with fellow icon Paul Newman) and The Sting (again with Newman). There were also hits like All the President’s Men, Three Days of the Condor and Out of Africa.
Branching Out
Redford applied his talents behind the camera, serving as director on Ordinary People (for which he won an Oscar) and later directing eight other films including A River Runs Through It, Quiz Show and The Horse Whisperer.
Redford once said that if you were a movie star, few would take you seriously. While that may have been the norm for some, it did not apply to him.
Movies were not his only passion. Believing firmly in filmmaking as an art form, he launched the Sundance Film Festival in his adopted home state of Utah. This festival launched landmark films by many who would become major directors, including Quentin Tarantino and Ava DuVernay.
Living as he did in Utah, experiencing nature was paramount, and so he became an ardent environmentalist using his public platform to raise awareness for conservation and preservation of natural wilderness.
Facing adversity
Idyllic, yes, but not always. Redford lost a daughter in infancy, another son, age 58, died of cancer, his daughter experienced a near-death auto accident, and his first marriage ended in divorce. Later, he suffered financial losses and had to sell his stake in Sundance.
In fact, his early life gave no hint of his future. His mother died when he was a teen, and that loss set him somewhat adrift. He earned a baseball scholarship to Colorado but dropped out, in part because he enjoyed partying more than studying. He went to Europe for a year and made a living by selling street drawings. He had a knack for illustration.
Lessons for us
What Redford reminds us is to reflect on what we have accomplished by focusing on what we have done, rather than what we might have done. Take pride in your accomplishments, but do not dwell on them. Continue to pursue new horizons in your life and career.
Bob Woodward, legendary reporter for the Washington Post and who was portrayed by Redford in All the President’s Men, said, “I loved him, and admired him — for his friendship, his fiery independence, and the way he used any platform he had to help make the world better, fairer, brighter for others.”
Redford persevered, and so his comment about being pleased with what he had accomplished resonates. One commenthe made resonates with those who did not know him in the days of his full stardom.
“I try to avoid giving advice. The only advice I will give is to pay attention. I don’t mean to the screen in your hand.”
In short, life is meant to be lived in reality, not virtually.