Sometimes I Wish I Lived in a TV Show

This morning I was sitting in the Eyring Science Center waiting for my New Testament class to start. As I have a break between my Stats class and New Testament, I sit at a table upstairs in front of the windows. This is done for two reasons: I find myself feeling smarter when I sit among the brilliant science major students and it’s an excellent place to people-watch as students enter and exit the building and walk outside on campus. Naturally, I was looking for some particular friends and I got to thinking of one of my favorite TV shows called One Tree Hill. I love that show! I own nearly all the seasons and can quote some specific episodes directly because I’ve watched them so much. Anywho, I thought of a particular scene between two characters. After having a fight the previous night, Haley is sitting at a lunch table doing homework when Nathan comes up behind her, sits down, and begins talking to her. Things don’t get 100 percent resolved, but the point is he goes to her; he wants to try to work things out. They talk freely, honestly, without get mad, but appreciating the other’s point of view. As I watched the people outside and played with my highlighter, I couldn’t help, but wish the same experience would happen to me right then. These thoughts lead me to another one I care to share. Sometimes I wish I lived in a TV show. Episode after episode, example after example help to make my point. In TV show land, things aren’t perfect, but sure seem a heck of a lot easier than real-life land.

Here lie some examples for you to consider:

When you live in a TV show, episodes are typically 46 minutes long without commercials. When less than positive things happen, they span over 1 to 3 episodes; 5 if your producers are really pushing the suspense. This means that when you breakup with someone, get in a fight, land yourself in the hospital, you don’t have to deal with the pain and discomfort for days, weeks, and sometimes months. No, you get recovered within 46 and 138 minutes; or at most, 230 minutes. Um, recovery time cut drastically…who WOULDN’T want that? Exactly. TV shows rock.

I wish I could commentate my life like a TV episode. Wake up and end the day with how I feel with just the right mood music playing in the back ground. Take Grey’s Anatomy commentary, for example; pretty darn good if you ask me. It could be like walking to an AM radio station of yourself throughout the day. Although, it could be annoying, it might be something worth getting used to.

I call this next example the “It’s a Wonderful Life moment”. Relating again to One Tree Hill, it’s a reoccurring plot line to have a specific character land in the hospital with unconscious, near death injuries. As their loved ones mourn, hurt character is escorted by some sort of “angel” to see how people are dealing with the trauma. I would be lying if I said I haven’t thought multiple times what people’s reaction would be if I went unconscious. How would people react? Who would come to the hospital? Who would stay at the hospital? After looking at the present, character and angel take a look at what life would be like if said individual never existed or died. This gives the person a chance to see what sort of difference they make in the lives of family members and friends. This leads me to think, who would be affected the most? Have I made any real difference to anyone or would the lives of those I interact with be pretty much unaffected? Questions I so desperately want answered, but feel only will truly happen if I lived in a TV show.

Have we noticed how men on TV shows are pretty close to perfect? They know all the right things to say and make you feel like the most beautiful girl on Earth. They still put rose petals on your bed even when you’ve been married 7 years (again, taken from One Tree Hill). They’re constantly doing things to take your breath away. They also just seem much easier to read. I know there are men out here in real-life land like that, but I have yet to meet one that isn’t currently attached. I’m waiting for my Lucas, Nathan, Seth, Leo, Ricky, Junior, or McDreamy still…

A favorite show of mine is called Charmed. It’s based on 3 modern day sisters who are turned into witches. Obviously, each sister gets a power. Piper gets the power to freeze time. I would LOVE that power! Think about it: you’re running on the sidewalk, a strange man attacks you; you freeze him, run away and watch from safer ground at his confusion as to where you went. Hysterical! Living in Charmed would be fun.

Another “perk” of being a witch is having lots of spells to use. One such spell the girls use is called the “truth telling spell”. How much I would love to use that! The questions and misunderstandings that could be truly resolved…one day…

In order to keep the TV show going, there has to be drama. Unfortunately, that is inevitable. In life, there are setbacks. There are things that make you hurt. Whether they come via boyfriend, best friend, family member, whomever, it happens. When you watch a TV show, friends will get into a fight and say things will never be the same. Then all of a sudden something really awful happens that brings the two back together and makes their friendship bigger and better than ever. Is it so awful of me to say that I want something like a creepy stalker to come over to my home (One Tree Hill), not get into a specific college (The O.C.) or nearly die falling into a freezing lake and can’t get out (Grey’s Anatomy) for such issues to be resolved? In TV land, the best friends always become friends again. The “meant to be” couple always gets together in the end. Things typically work out pretty well at the end of the hour. That sounds blissful!

TV shows can be annoying, but I think they have their perks! Friendships stay firm. Relationships last. Funny things are publically and permanently documented. Stupidity is generally accepted. There’s usually some sort of conclusion at the end of your 60 minute hour. And if there isn’t, the next episode will fix it for you! That’s only a mere 92 minutes later (remember we’re not counting commercials here). The bad guy is eventually exposed. The good guy eventually wins. The right music plays at the right time. Things work out. Yes, sometimes I wish I lived in a TV show.

To all in real-people land,

Loves!