Self Observational Sunday: The Blunder Years

Through the magic of Netflix Instant Watch I've been able to discover TV shows that I missed. Thanks to Instant Watch I finally got around to watching Raising Hope, Parks and Recreation and Community, however the more depressing thing is that if not for Instant Watch I'd have probably never seen the Wonder Years.

I think the most important in writing a TV show is that even within the comedy and drama there is always an underlying element of reality. I found this in ways I never imagined when watching The Wonder Years. It forced me to come to reality with the idea of losing people I care about.

You see other shows that mirrored my life in some way (or spoke to me). Shows like Community, Scrubs and How I Met Your Mother made me see things about my friends, in a positive way. You see in TV it's easy. Television friends tend to speak about how much they care about you roughly once every week after a major crisis was resolved in 20 minutes. In real life problems aren't quickly wrapped up and friends often keep their opinions and thoughts to themselves. This is what is makes me love these TV shows. My friends never have to tell me about how they feel, Turk and J.D. do it for them.

However with the Wonder Years I didn't have friendships that connected with me. It hit me on a family level. Mostly within the father. I saw so much of my dad in the series. So imagine the mini-anxiety attack I had when the closing narration mentions his father dying a heart attack two years after the series finale (roughly when Kevin is 18/19).

I've discussed previously how I frequently have an overwhelming fear of death (not my own death but dealing with the loss of others). This once again forced me to come to terms with the fact that eventually I will have to lay my father from rest, that is never a fun thing to have to deal with. I fear whenever this will become my reality.