I misunderstood something in a big way. Many of you could probably see that I was headed for trouble with my desire to be placed in an eternal 1974 upon my death. As I was mopping my floor today, after watching an episode of Rhoda, I realized that Rhoda probably dealt with the same issues in 1974 that I am dealing with in 2011. I may be wrong about this, but I am guessing that anxiety and self-doubt felt pretty much the same thirty-seven years ago as they do today. If I were an adult in 1974, my life would feel just as off track as it does now, only I would be wearing bell bottoms and there would be great Budweiser commercials in December.
As I was making my bed, I was imagining Rhoda making her bed; believe me she was just as unhappy about doing it as I was. Poor Rhoda, living with her little sister in a small Manhattan apartment, and in a relationship with Joe who is seriously lacking in emotional depth. Life must have really stunk at times, but boy did she look good in her clothes.
This is a separate but important thought regarding the Mary Tyler Moore Show. Episode one of season one Mary gets a job as associate producer for WJM-TV Station. I could feel her excitement as if I were the one that got the job, which makes me want her job or a job that I could get that excited about. Something I learned this week: watching the Mary Tyler Moore Show is a life enhancing experience. Mary is fantastically hot, which is something that I never realized. I wish that I could have hair that nice and thick.
Lesson from watching Rhoda: What I learned today is that I don't really want to live in an eternal 1974, I just want the same fabulous experience of being alive that I had when I was a kid in 1974. I think that I am having that a little bit already. Hooray for me!
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ReplyDeleteBut it's time you started living
ReplyDeleteIt's time you let someone else do some giving.
Love is all around, no need to waste it,
You can have a town, why don't you take it?
You're gonna make it after all!
Hooray for you!
Yes, the song!
ReplyDeleteI always liked Rhoda more than Mary. Mary was too perky. I knew that Mary knew about the dark side( it showed up in later life for her when she was in Ordinary People)but her overidentification with the all good and light and positive scared me. Rhoda clearly had issues and I liked that she wore her pathos on her well designed sleeve. Anxiety, ennui, mother issues, weight issues, success issues, and marriage issues---and she made it all funny. Yeah, Rhoda had it all!
ReplyDeleteLove this post! So happy to be back here.-)
La Belette, over the course of the past few days I have discovered Mary's depth and richness of character. I am growing to love her as I love Rhoda. However, I will always be a Rhoda girl at heart. Glad to have you back in the blogging world. You were missed.
ReplyDelete