Many years ago, I read that reality TV producers created false “scripted” drama because otherwise they would be filming people’s boring lives 24×7 and nobody would be interested in watching.
I’ve thought about that a lot over the past decade. Most of my life would bore other people (as readers of this blog can attest).
- There were no dramatic car chases.
- Nobody was murdered.
- There are no unsolved mysteries.
- My family went to school, worked, accumulated debt, rented apartments and bought houses like everyone else around us.
- Hobbies were built around our lives: Walking the dog, gardening, exercising, going to the local park, eating out for dinner, watching movies, reading.
My life has been a repetition of tedious and pleasant activities interspersed occasionally with drama.
With few exceptions, most of the drama was bad: family addiction issues, adolescent delinquency problems, divorce proceedings, breakups, a few fights, a few car accidents, some minor thefts, and some deaths.
The good drama included things like: meeting my wife, starting new jobs, relocating, adopting pets, hitting long term goals.
Still, if I add up the dramatic incidents over 53 years, the percentage of my life that was dramatic is well under 2%.
When I was a kid, I imagined my future would be full of big dramatic moments like going to the prom, getting married, graduating, winning awards, becoming famous, giving speeches etc.
In other words, I imagined my future life based on what I had watched on TV.
That seems so ridiculous to me now. Even as I type it, I cannot believe I used to think that way.
What I’ve leaned is that after the dramatic moments, my life tends to return to the way it hand been before.
Sometimes, some aspect of my life will shift drastically (and even permanently) in response to the drama. Relocating, getting sober, meeting my wife, losing our (step)daughter and my wife dying all resulted in major life changes.
Most times, after the dust settled, my life returned to baseline.
I’ve been thinking about this whenever I hear someone talk about “the new normal” because of Covid-19.
I’m pretty sure that the new normal will quickly return to something much like the old normal used to be for most of us.
It might take a few months. For some it might take a few years.
For me, the pandemic has highlighted much of what I’ve taken for granted in my life – convenience, ample supplies, random conversations, less government involvement in my daily life, casual human contact.
I’d like to think I’ll recognize and appreciate these more as things open up. So far, I am grateful for even the little things that are returning to normal – nice and boring – just the way I like it.