The First Rule of Fight Club is "Enjoy Every Sandwich"

 I remember the day I went to see the film "Fight Club" like it 

was yesterday. I went with three of my best pals - Steve Coulter, 

David Silverman, and Chad Pittard. The four of us are in possession 

of a collectively dark sense of humor, and it was never more 

evident than during our viewing of this film at Phipps Plaza, a ritzy mall

where wealthy Buckhead patrons once actually 'dressed up' for the movies.

Well, we might've frightened these poor scratch golfers and 

Driving Club members more than the movie itself. 

The film, for those who've never seen it, is a very

dark satire, a commentary on society, materialism, manhood, 

and about thirty other odds and ends. 

Anyway, we were the only four laughing - often loudly - 

causing many elderly moviegoers to move away from us. 

It was sorta like having a quartet of Tyler Durdens sitting

behind you while you watch the apocalypse unfold. 

The movie is hard to watch, to be sure.  It's supposed to be. 

I rarely make it to the end.  But, there are lines of dialogue, insights, 

and scenes that I come back to.  Sure, I aspire to live like such literary 

characters as Atticus Finch or Tom Joad, but I'm also aware that

most days, I am Jack's Medulla Oblongata. 

With that in mind, I was reminded of this scene on the one year 

anniversary of my snake bite.  This scene is actually a modern day 

retelling of a Zen parable about a man who is chased by a tiger, who 

then jumps from a cliff to escape his fate, only to hang from a berry vine

 that is about to give way.  If he climbs up,the tiger gets him; 

if he stays put, he falls to his death. 

His answer? Eat a berry from the vine, and enjoy 'the best berry 

he's ever eaten'.  Talk about being present! 

Man, that's a reminder of how precious and fragile this whole gig is.

In "Fight Club", Tyler Durden is the tiger - or in my case, the snake. 

And Raymond K. Hessel gets a disturbing but vivid lesson in how 

important it is to live your life with purpose and passion.

I can't find the scene on YouTube, so I'm posting the edited scene 

here from the "Fight Club" screenplay.  Hope it inspires you to 

go enroll in that class, sign up for that marathon, ask out that person, 

or just enjoy that next sandwich a bit more.

"HUMAN SACRIFICE" scene from "Fight Club" 

EXT. ALL-NIGHT CONVENIENCE STORE - MOMENTS LATER

Tyler, with Jack following, emerges from the trees and heads into the
parking lot.  A Clerk ambles toward his car, taking off his uniform bow
tie.  Tyler suddenly pulls a HANDGUN out of his belt and rams it
against the Clerk's head.

EXT. WOODED AREA - CONTINUOUS

Tyler marches the Clerk, the gun aimed at his head.  Jack follows.

JACK
What are you doing?!

TYLER
Shut up.

JACK
Are you out of your mind?!

TYLER
Shut up.

Tyler stops the Clerk and pushes him down to a kneeling position.

TYLER
Give me your wallet.

The Clerk fumbles his wallet out of his pocket and Tyler snatches it. 
Tyler pulls out the driver's license. 

TYLER
Raymond K. Hessel.  1320 SE Benning, apartment A.  A small, cramped
basement apartment.

RAYMOND
How'd you know?

TYLER
They give basement apartments letters instead of numbers.  Raymond,
you're going to die.

RAYMOND
Please, God, no.

JACK
What are you doing?!

TYLER
Is this a picture of Mom and Dad?

RAYMOND
Yesss ...

TYLER
An expired community college student ID card.  What did you used to
study, Raymond K. Hessel?

RAYMOND
S-S-Stuff.

TYLER
"Stuff".  Were the mid-terms hard?

Tyler shoves the gun against Raymond's temple.

TYLER
I asked you what you studied.

RAYMOND
Biology, mostly.

TYLER
Why?

RAYMOND
I don't know.

TYLER
What did you want to be Raymond K. Hessel?

A long beat while Raymond weeps and says nothing.  Tyler COCKS the gun.
 Jack JERKS back, wincing, sweating.

JACK
... Tyler?

TYLER
I'm busy.

Tyler continues, to Raymond:

TYLER
The question, Raymond, was "what did you want to be"?

Tyler begins to squeeze the trigger.

JACK (croaking with dry mouth)
Answer him!

RAYMOND
A VETERINARIAN!

TYLER
Animals.

RAYMOND
Yeah ... animals and s-s-s --

TYLER
-- *Stuff*.  That means you have to get more schooling.

RAYMOND
Too much school.

TYLER
Would you rather be dead?

Tyler shoves Raymond's wallet back into his pocket.

TYLER
I'm keeping your license.  I know where you live.  I'm going to check
on you.  If you aren't back in school on your way to being a
veterinarian, you will be dead.  Now, get the hell out of here.

Raymond staggers into the darkness.  Tyler watches.  Jack, still
clinging to a branch with a deathgrip, looks at Tyler.  Tyler slowly
turns to face Jack.

TYLER
Raymond K. Hessel, tomorrow will be the most beautiful day of your
life.  Your breakfast is going to taste better than any meal you've
ever eaten.