...the kind of friendship that can withstand some popular culture fodder?
I spent 3 hours with my bestie - name not mentioned for her protection
: ) - watching The Bachelorette related TV shows tonight. We talked through the commercials during the tell-all episode, and became quiet when the show came back on. We even stomached the 20/20 "Behind the Rose" special and counted how many couples from The Bachelor/Bachelorette have stayed together (not many...maybe 1?). I don't really think that the most compelling aspect of the night was the men bearing their souls about why they chose to be on this show. I think the most compelling aspect was the basic need for connection and friendship with or without a TV show.
My bestie was the one, 6 or 7 years ago, who would call me while we both watched one of the first episodes of The Bachelor while Mike was deployed to Antarctica. I have a vivid memory of sitting on my bed, phone in hand, TV on (when we had a TV in the bedroom), analyzing whether or not The Bachelor at the time made the right choice. Weekly this ritual would occur and for me it wasn't just the enjoyment of trash TV...it was the connection with my friend that was so profound.
Life got in the way. Marriages developed; Kids were born; Other TV shows were watched; Terminal illness was faced; Death sat at our dinner tables. So...when I was asked by numerous people this year (my bestie included) if I was watching The Bachelorette, I said no, but I will. Not because I care if Ali chooses the guy of her dreams, but because there is something so important in the connection with another person that even a simple popular culture TV show brings. And that is all I really care about.
1 comment:
So I just clicked on your blog in between tending to small demands and big chores. I wanted a quick fix of you as I went about my afternoon. A Melanie Fix is always refreshing. As I read the words, they became kind of bleary. Through tears, and lots of nodding and smiling, I realized that our connection is much more than the trials we've endured, the loves we have had, even the little hands we have held. Our connectiong is just about being available to one another - to sit on a couch and dish - like besties do. The other night felt like a dip into the cool waters of our childhood. (Except we can legally drink now!) Loved the blog post.
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