An Open Letter to Owen Wilson

Justin Houston
Jul 25, 2017 · 4 min read
My letter writing skills to other men are a tad rusty.

I have always enjoyed your work. You have a realness that makes you feel like one of us. I really appreciate the variety of work you have done. I look at some of the roles you have taken and I can see their appeal.

I imagine being a celebrity is quite a mixed bag. I think it’s more difficult than people realize. It’s hard enough just being a regular person in life, much less living this larger than life existence of a movie star.

I want to tell you about a movie of yours that has stayed with me — that I’ve never seen.

It’s weird how certain things stay with you. Memories that last forever.

Important things fade away and obscure moments seem etched in your mind like they happened yesterday.

My mom was married to my dad for decades.

Unhappily.

I remember conversations when I was young, where I tried to convince her to get a divorce. That I would be okay. And I would have been.

My dad is a good man in most ways, but he never mastered the art of being a husband and father.

Whenever my mom would mention separation, my dad would give not so subtle hints about what would happen to him if they were to go their separate ways. I am not sure if he intimated that he would kill himself, but he definitely portrayed himself as someone who would lose his sanity if it were to happen.

Of course, this was a way for him to control the situation. Hell, maybe he would have lost it. But more likely, he just couldn’t see the future. My father was always very risk and change averse.

I would have been okay. My mom would have had a chance at happiness.

Instead, she stayed with him. For a long time. I grew up. Became an adult.

Then, my father decided he wanted to end the marriage. I won’t over share on this. Like many things in my mom’s life, it was decidedly unfair.

My mom embraced being on her own again. She liked it. We all tried to encourage her that her third act could be long and glorious.

She met a man.

How can I say this? When you know your mom has always been the one to get the short end of everything — you want someone worthy of her. My mom, not having as much confidence as she should have, didn’t see it the same way.

It’s not that he was a bad man. He just wasn’t enough. But then again, that wasn’t my call.

One of their first dates, maybe even the first date — was to watch a movie.

My mom rarely…rarely went to the movies. I remember my parents taking me to see Uncle Buck and both of them falling asleep during it.

My mom went with her date to see Marley & Me.

They both look so surprised.

She would go on to fall in love with this man.

Time would pass (unfortunately, not very much).

My mom was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer.

It was viscious. She was diagnosed and gone within six months.

Her boyfriend was there through her illness.

He had purchased two recliners, they stayed at my mom’s house, for them to sit together in. Maybe to grow old together in.

My brother had given my mom a new TV for Christmas. He told my mom’s boyfriend that he could have the TV when mom did pass away.

Like I said — cancer worked quickly. My mom passed. The day after the funeral. The day after. My mom’s boyfriend shows up at her house. We are still shellshocked.

He’s there to pick up his recliners and TV.

I helped him load them into his truck.

I tried to remind myself that my mom got to experience love again. For a little while. It wasn’t good enough for her. But I guess it was better than nothing.

Her boyfriend would marry another woman, I think, less than a year later.

As for Marley & Me, it always reminds me of my mom. Her chance at love again. Love that always eluded her. She could never catch a break.

I still haven’t seen the movie. I would have trouble with it anyway because of the dog. Movies with animals are hard for me to watch. Too much tugging at the heartstrings.

Life isn’t easy for any of us. Money just makes it different. Fame just makes it different. We are all still human and if we are grounded enough — we hold on to who we were even as we become who we are.

I just want to thank you for making a movie I haven’t seen.

I want to wish you well.

I just wanted to share a story of very normal people in case life ever feels like it’s too disconnected to the rest of us.

Hang in there.

Justin Houston

Written by

Writer, Teacher, Comedian…

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