If life were like the movies …

Barbara

My sister and I used to adore the movie "Big ." I think it was the sole reason I learned how to play "Heart and Soul"  on the piano. Granted, it was with my fingers, not my feet, and I wasn't accompanied by my boss but by my sister, who tended to boss me anyway(I never got to play the fun bottom part—I was always stuck with the melody).

Giant pianos and shimmy, shimmy, cocoa pop aside, I think what my sister and I liked the most was the independence of being "big."

Josh Baskin, miffed by being too short to board a carnival ride, tells the all-powerful Zoltar machine that he wants to be big. And poof—wish granted. Being big apparently translates to having a fabulous NYC loft filled with all the extravagances you want—in this case, a plethora of toys and games. And a ginormous trampoline! Oh, and it also means having the job of your dreams ...

Who wouldn't want to be big?

Ah, to be young and optimistic again. Back in the day, I really did want to be big. But now, being big? Not so much (although being kind of a big deal is still pretty awesome). Turns out, everything is not as it seems in the movies. A harsh reality for the little girl who thought if Josh Baskin could have his own trampoline she could have a dance studio in her apartment.

 Well, I don't have that dance studio, and that independence I was so drawn to ... I usually pretend that it's fake and end up calling my mom for advice. Nonetheless, and surreal as it may be, here are some lessons related to the movie "Big":

• When Josh first meets his boss (by plowing him over in the hallway), Mr. MacMillan says, “Nothing wrong with a little hustle.” A great thing to remember in the workplace, and something that's applicable to student loans, too. There's nothing wrong with speeding up the repayment process on your loan. The faster you pay the less interest you pay. So if you can manage the hustle, do it.
  
  
• Josh's first paycheck before he lands the killer toy-tester job? Three dimes, a hundred dollar bill, and 87 ones … $187.30. Rough. And your first job's paychecks usually are. It's tough, but you learn to deal.
  
  
• Glow-in-the-dark compass rings may help you avoid getting lost in an apartment but not in the world. You have to sketch out a road map to where you want to be and how you're going to get there. And if need be, you need to be willing to take the back roads when necessary.
  
  
• Josh: "I went to bed one night and I was a kid, and when I woke up the next morning I was a grown up." Time goes too fast. Going from freshman year to going to bed on your graduation night seems like it happens in the blink of an eye. Start preparing for your big status as soon as you step foot on campus. Make sure you're involved in the right things and are financially responsible.
  
  
• Being big gets old—even for Josh Baskin. With the responsibilities and complications everyone wants to be young and carefree. The only thing is, unlike in the movies, we can't go back.

Do you have any big advice? What would you have asked of the all-powerful Zoltar?