An illustration shows News Staffer Angel Jara making peace with his dinosaur rather than letting it go extinct. After watching the 2008 comedy “Step Brothers,” Jara was particularly inspired by a conversation between two characters to take up a new philosophy in life. “To me, never losing your dinosaur means never losing the ambition and unwavering faith that one may have in their dreams or passions, even if it means being judged by others,” Jara wrote. Illustration by Sam Harwell
News Staffer Angel Jara discusses the significance of the movie “Step Brothers” and what it means to him as he prepares to enter the adult world.
“Don’t lose your dinosaur.”
These are the words spoken by Dr. Robert Doback (Richard Jenkins) to his son Dale Doback (John C. Reilly) in the movie “Step Brothers.” The 2008 slapstick comedy is about two immature men, Dale and Brennan Huff (Will Ferrell), who still live with their single parents and are forced to form a bond after becoming stepbrothers.
Dale grows up to be a more mature adult, and while his father is proud of him, Robert misses the childlike and quirky side of Dale’s personality formerly shown in the movie. In an attempt to sway him back to his original self, Robert shares his childhood dream of wanting to be a dinosaur with his son.
To many, myself included, this just seemed like a cheesy scene from a comedy that was released almost 20 years ago.
However, as I neared the end of my high school career and prepared to enter the adult world, I thought back more to what the line meant. Its ethos rings so true to the point that it has become a daily mantra.
To me, never losing your dinosaur means never losing the ambition and unwavering faith that one may have in their dreams or passions, even if it means being judged by others.
To me, never losing your dinosaur means never losing the ambition and unwavering faith that one may have in their dreams or passions, even if it means being judged by others.
Just think of how many kids were fascinated with skateboarding or sharks but gave up pursuing those passions because they were deemed “childish.”
What’s stopping these kids from designing skateboards or becoming marine biologists?
As we grow older, society begins to drive our dinosaurs to extinction because they may not fit into the monotony of adult-life and the norms of civilization. Because of this, pursuing our dinosaurs isn’t the easiest thing to do.
I once had a dream of talking to every person on earth – all 8 billion people. While I don’t think I’ll be doing that any time soon, that illogical, silly dream I once had manifested itself into a desire to create things that connect with people – hopefully, this piece is one of them.
As I look ahead to graduation in May, I haven’t lost my dinosaur — don’t lose yours.
