There I was; enduring another old episode of Full House. That show from two decades ago where two extremely corny men and one ridiculous rock star wannabe raise a bunch of girls. There has never been a show that irritates me more than Full House. Sure, Saved by the Bell comes very close and certainly, there are many others that just suck BUT nothing grates me more than the show who was headlined by Bob Saget.
Only Bob Saget can take a relatively good idea and ruin it. Take America's funniest Home Videos for example: Great concept, funny clips BUT that show was ruined each episode Mr. Saget opened his mouth with some lame punchline to coincide with the relatively funny home videos.
There, I said it.
And if you don't believe he is that bad, watch him do stand up. You will witness a man completely overcompensating for his "goody goody" image. His comedy act consists of dick jokes and a lot of swearing. It's awkward, at best.
So, as I was saying... there I was, for the 14th day in a row, watching an old episode of Full House. I was completely agitated; angry at such bad humor, annoyed that "writers" were being paid to "write" such a painfully unfunny script. BUT, I couldn't stop watching.
That's when it dawned on me, that I love being irritated. There really is no other explanation that I, or anyone would ever subject themselves to such torture disguised in a family show.
Yesterday, was the ten year anniversary of the day I lost my best friend; the best man I have ever known. An insidious disease, yes alcoholism is a disease, took his life.
I spent part of the day reminiscing about him. And us. And the good times. And the bad ones.
He's the reason I write. Just about everything I ever say on paper is inspired by him. And our friendship. And the what ifs. And the whys.
So, many thoughts raced through my head last night, precisely around 10:15, the hour in which he was found gone. I considered writing something really vague here; grieving in ambiguity. I thought I will turn these emotions into some artistic life form; something people will interpret in their own way, something some people won't even understand.
But, it was HIS anniversary and he was a straight talker. So, I figured, I'd say nothing or I would speak clearly.
For him. And for me. My peace of mind.
For the twenty plus years I spent with him, not a moment was wasted. A lot of who I am today is because of who he was everyday. Look, he wasn't perfect but damn, there has never nor will there ever be a man like him. He was my big brother, my dad, my best friend or at least, the closest to any of those people I have ever known.
We, as humans, do this thing where we mark on our calenders the deaths of those we loved. Like it was an end of an era or the end of something big. That once remarkable person now has been reduced to a milestone.
Last night, like usual, I started asking questions and wondering about the unknown. If death is a new birth for those of us who believe, was there a ten year birthday party on the other side for him? It's just a random question and deep down, I know the answer.
Time is nothing but an artificial concept we created. It really doesn't exist. He was 32 years old, just two weeks shy of his 33rd birthday, when he left us. But if death is a part of life, then really, he's still living which means that number, the number 32, means absolutely nothing. That's the beauty of life; we are born, we reach certain milestones, we live, we die and then we are remembered.
Everything runs full circle. Circles never end.
Last night, I did a 6 hour marathon of my favorite TV show of all time, How I Met your Mother. It's not only funny but it's poignant and brilliantly constructed..
It's a simple concept, really. A show based on a small circle of friends and focuses on one character who is looking for the love of his life. Each episode ends with this character talking to his future children about how he met his wife, their mother.
This is season nine, the season we finally learn who their mother is... The twists and turns that have culminated into this final unveiling, personally, are something I can relate to so well.
As the narrator, the future version of the main character stated in one of the episodes last night,
"That was the year I got left at the altar. It was the year I got knocked out by a crazed bartender, the year I got fired, the year I got beat up by a goat—a girl goat at that—and damn it if it wasn't the best year of my life. Because if any one of those things hadn't happened, I never would've ended up in what turned out to be the best job I ever had. But more importantly, I wouldn't have met your mother."
That
was the year I got left at the altar, it was the year I got knocked out
by a crazed bartender, the year I got fired, the year I got beat up by a
goat, a girl goat at that, and damn it if it wasn’t the best year of my
life. Because if any one of those things hadn’t happened, I never
would’ve ended up in what turned out to be the best job I ever had. But
more importantly, I wouldn’t have met your mother. Because as you know,
she was in that class. Of course, that story is just beginning. - See
more at:
http://www.quotesworthrepeating.com/tv-quotes/how-i-met-your-mother-quotes/#sthash.vePGYc8c.dpuf
That
was the year I got left at the altar, it was the year I got knocked out
by a crazed bartender, the year I got fired, the year I got beat up by a
goat, a girl goat at that, and damn it if it wasn’t the best year of my
life. Because if any one of those things hadn’t happened, I never
would’ve ended up in what turned out to be the best job I ever had. But
more importantly, I wouldn’t have met your mother. Because as you know,
she was in that class. Of course, that story is just beginning. - See
more at:
http://www.quotesworthrepeating.com/tv-quotes/how-i-met-your-mother-quotes/#sthash.vePGYc8c.dpuf
Those words really hit me last night. Of all nights, the ten year anniversary of losing someone important, it dawned on me that sure, life sucks sometimes. Certainly, we all have faced and will face tragedy and hardships. But, everything runs in perfect order.
If I had never met that man and if he wasn't the influence he was on me, I would not be who I am today. His leaving us so soon is tragic for those of us left behind. But I don't dare claim it was tragic for him because I believe he is finally at peace. And I believe there is something greater than this life.
The narrator on my favorite show of all time is none other than Bob Saget.
His character speaks with such wisdom. He retells the story of his own life with such ease and quietude. It makes one feel that it's okay when life takes us on a detour or deals us some shitty cards because eventually, we are all led in perfect order to something greater.
It's not to say we all get happy endings because we all don't but since life has no true ending, sometimes that something greater comes after we have departed.
I believe that. I have to.
Thank you, Bob Saget. I once hated you. Now, I can tolerate you because you have become a refuge for me.
Even if it's just from a TV show.
No comments:
Post a Comment