Let’s Try Living The Script
I recently met Herbie J. Pilato for coffee. Herbie J. is considered one of the foremost authorities on Bewitched and has also recently released a couple new books. One looks at the Bionic phenomenon while another looks at real life, as portrayed on TV. But, the real life he addresses, is not what one might think. He’s not addressing the glut of reality TV shows now on the market. Instead, he looks at TV shows addressing real life issues, while maintaining a serial like existence.
As we left the restaurant Herbie made a comment that’s really stayed with me. He said something to the effect of of — Let’s try living the script, instead of just writing a script.
Wow, what a thought! We live in a world where many try to distance themselves from reality, for the simple fact that sometimes reality is painful. However, by doing so, we don’t really experience life. While searching to write the perfect script for our life, we miss out on living the script of our life. Of course we also miss out on building any kind of relationship with those around us. Many are looking for friendship and someone to live life with. But, if we’re too busy trying to write the perfect life script, we miss out on the joy that surrounds us every day by living our life.
There was a time when going to a movie or watching a show on TV was a time to escape the reality of life. Entertainment provided a small break from the reality of what many times can be a cruel world. But, as time went on, the entertainment world of shows on TV and the big screen have become less about escapism and more about voyeurism. After all, if we can watch some reality show, why should we bother to deal with our own reality. And, by peering in on another persons reality, we’re not escaping from our reality, we’re simply becoming Peeping Tom’s in a voyeurism world.
What I’m describing is really nothing new. After all, we do live in a world of cycles, and we’ve grappled with these issues before. But, lets hope the pendulum swings soon back to a world of people being involved in their own lives, and living their lives with purpose and joy, instead of just looking in on the lives of others.
Just my two cents,
Dr. Rus
