i look outside today into the grayness of mid april, and i’m being reminded of my favorite movie of all time, Harakiri. Harakiri is 1962 japanese cinematic brilliance; the story of an old ronin (masterless samurai) who falls on hard times. samurai were the masters of their craft, skilled in fighting techniques as well as the arts; during times of peace though, the fighting skills that earned them a living were useless. they were laid off, unemployed, cast out into a world with a talent that wasn’t needed. for some reason, the bleakness of today is reminiscent of the hard times that the main character was confronted with. we are confronted with some hard times of late, and the skills that we may have earned and acquired over the years could potentially be outdated, useless, or unneeded. it’s important in times such as these to keep a clear, positive head, and to be thankful for what we have and are able to do.