“I believe at a certain age it becomes imperative to reread the books of childhood and youth. Else we may go to the grave not knowing who we are or why we lived!” – Henry Miller
When I first read that quote it made me smile for two reasons. One, I finally felt vindicated for that period of high school during which I kept reading childrens’ books and my mom told me I was being ridiculous. And two, it occurred to me that that sentiment really applies to more than books. It applies to all prominent childhood memories. One ought to tour the house they grew up in. One should pull out Candyland and have a game. And, depending on how one spent one’s childhood, they should watch the television shows they worshiped as a kid.
This concept very much applies to me. As a child, my dad limited me to only watching ten hours a week, a number that seems excessive in comparison to the probably three hours a week I watch currently (when you watch TV for a living, it appeals to you less at the end of the day). TV was a HUGE part of my childhood. It helps me pinpoint memories, like the time I was watching Who’s the Boss? and asked my mom what ‘going steady’ was. Or getting in trouble for watching Three’s Company, which was too risqué for a girl of seven (the ‘Jack’s pretending to be gay’ joke went over my head anyway). Or how I was watching Silver Spoons in syndication when the San Francisco ’89 earthquake hit.
If you’re anything like me, and the media tells me that you are, you also hold television shows from your youth dear in your heart. And not to toot Crackle’s horn or anything, but I’m pretty proud of the fact that we have shows from such varied time as to cover a lot of youth. We’ve got The Addams Family and Bewitched for Baby Boomers, The Facts of Life and Diff’rent Strokes for Generation X, and He-Man and She-Ra for Generation Y. Hell, we even have The Three Stooges for “The Silent Generation.” That is, if they can figure out how to use a computer.
Amber – Community Coordinator
Tags: bewitched, diff'rent strokes, hall of heroes, he-man, she-ra, silver spoons, the addams family, the facts of life, the three stooges, who's the boss?
Diff’rent Strokes is where it’s at, but where would I be without The Facts Of Life?