I love MTV’s new show "My Life as Liz" I see a huge part of me in her. I like that she goes against the grain, not because it’s the cool thing to do, but because she genuinely has a philosophy that doesn’t include excluding people just because they aren’t exactly like her. She also has no problem letting the naysayers know exactly what she thinks of their close-mindedness. Through the series the viewer gets to see how she handles being different in a small town that expects her to be like everyone else. She’s an independent girl who can hold her own with the guys. Yet, in the midst of her battling her microcosmic society's expectations and hanging with the guys, she is faced with her femininity creeping up on her. With the help of The Force, she fights the fight to not let this town or its people get the best of her...but much to her surprise, one boy threw her concentration all out of whack.
Ironically, to some extent, I feel like my life is paralleling what she is currently experiencing at 10 years her senior. I'm still having trouble navigating the mind of opposite sex. Understandably guys are no where near ready to be in a mature monogamous relationship at 17; and even though by 27 their voice has gotten deeper, they have shed the baby fat and put on some muscle, they have had their share of female interaction, it seems to be that they are not any closer to being ready then they were at 17. There’s also an equivalent of a "Cori Cooper" in this world o’mine who seems to have nothing better to do but think of ways to destroy me. It’s pretty eerie. This leaves me to ponder why it is I am seeing all these parallelisms of my life in a show about a teenager. Hmm...What does this say about her or me or societal expectations or human interaction/instinct?
I am feeling as though I am having some sort of quarter-life crisis. I am questioning my career choice, my ability to make certain decisions, my sources of motivation and passion. You may not care to hear anything I have to share, but a fire was lit as I watched this show tonight and I'm going to say anything and everything I want to share through this outlet.
Right about now you may be questioning how it is I got from a tv show about a teenage girl to wanting to seek out the answers to my life. A part of me is rooting for Liz to find out, in less time then I did, all the things it took me ten years to conclude. The other part is rooting for myself to get to a point of utter contentment with who I am and find the answers to the few avenues of my life that I'm still unsure about. If you don't believe in yourself, how do you expect anyone else to?
Those of you who know me know I would not consider myself a religious person. I do not have an affiliation with any particular denomination, but I do consider myself a spiritual person. I believe that when we are in times of true need, be it emotionally, socially, financially, or what have you, that The Force doesn't magically give us what it is we need, but presents the opportunity for us to fulfill that need. Its up to us to seize it. In moments of clarity, no matter how odd the timing or the avenue in which they present themselves may seem, it is up to us to recognize and pull what it is we need from these moments. Thus, tonight, watching "My Life as Liz" made me want to formulate into words what it is that I am feeling in hopes of better understanding the irony, the joys, and the disappointments in my life. In turn, maybe a little slice of me can serve as a positive catalyst, whether minute or monumental, for someone else. So please, if you can use it, take A Slice of Crys.
That show has had an effect on me, too. It's not because I can relate to a teenage girl. I certainly don't have a crush on a girl who not too long ago took a sex-education class. I can relate because she's an underdog who's just trying to create a voice for herself. As you know, I grew up with a stutter and I literally struggled throughout my teen years trying to have my voice get recognized -- and I still struggle with that today. The show might be scripted but it captures the truths about going to high school and dealing with the unavoidable, like bullies and broken hearts. I knew it was going to be a good show the first minute I saw it. MTV did good on this one. I hope the producers won't try to create another season, though. It's like the "My So Called Life" complex. That show has such a cult following because it ended prematurely, leaving people to wonder how the characters would have grown. And sometimes in a world where nothing is ever certain, I think that's a good thing.
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