Does TV Recycle...

...themes and plots? I keep getting into these nostalgic moments and re-watching TV shows that I enjoyed years ago. I'm currently going through "The Pretender" (Aired in the early-mid 90s) and after about the 10th episode I started thinking that it was reminding me of another TV show that I have seen more recently but couldn't put my brain cells on it.
It finally came to me halfway through the season that it was reminding me of Showtime's "Dexter". Those who are not familiar with either of these series let me recap. THE PRETENDER is about a man who was taken from his parents as a young child and raised in The Centre where his special 'genius' talent was used to simulate events to determine what could have happened or what was most likely to happen given a certain set of circumstances. This information was used for good and evil while leaving Jarrod separated for society as a whole and his parents also. He escapes and looks for his mother. He is searching for his past while the Centre tries to recapture him. Along the way he rights wrongs and brings people to justice.
DEXTER is a TV show based of a book series about a man who suffered unknown trauma in his early years before being adopted by a police officer and his family. He now has this uncontrollable urge to murder and mutilate (Warning: this is NOT a family show) but because of the love and direction he received from his adopted family he only kills other murderers and child molesters that the police cannot catch. Anyway here is where the two shows line up together for me:
1. Both have pasts that they don't fully remember that has led them to their current crusades.
2. Both have people trying to catch them although in DEXTER's case they don't know who they are trying to catch.
3. They both have this demented stare while plotting how they are going to measure out justice.
One big difference is that with the Pretender Jarrod does not kill the bad guys but he does meet out a measure of emotional/psychological trauma before turning them over to the law. Is there any other shows that you can think of that have parallels where you have enjoyed one but not the other. (Forgot to mention that I didn't watch more than 1 season of Dexter because the content was very risque and not just bloody)

Saying NO...

...even when you don't want to. I'm sure many of you have been told that you just need to say NO sometimes. Whether because you are over worked, scheduled or stressed say NO can help you balance your life. Sometimes it is really hard to say NO especially if you are a people-pleaser or you get validation through jobs well done. But that is not the area I'm struggling with right now. I'm fighting with myself to say NO to chocolate, chips, candy, crackers, donuts, cookies, and on and on and on.....

I have found that I can't say YES to just one of any of these food because if I have one suddenly the whole bag, box, carton, pound, has disappeared and there was no one else around but me so where did they go?????? I'm hoping that by saying YES in other areas of my life (i.e.Church activities, Cleaning, Crafts, Family & friend events, etc...) there will be less times to struggle with telling myself NO!

Creative processes...

...result in illness.
Out of the comfort box I was ready to step and share a poem at the Friends Poetry Reading. What happens? I end up with a stomach virus the kept me in the bathroom for over 5 hours. (I know TMI) But since I didn't get to read my poem in front of the few Library Friends in the audience I thought I would post it here on my blog where anyone with the misfortune of finding my blog can read it.

ESCAPE
by Cheryl Lucas

School
Job
Housework
I Escape

Illness
Pain
Death
I Escape

Taxes
War
Politicians
I Escape

Loneliness
Fear
Anger
I Escape

When life is too much
or not enough
I escape...
In a book

Feeling good...

...in the neighborhood. Life is full of ups and downs and right now I'm feeling pretty up. I thought for a while that I was going to lose all my young nieces and nephews as their families moved away but I only lost half of them.

The girls are still living next door and visit often (maybe not as often as their parents might wish) and it's good to have them near. While I don't have any of my own I still enjoy brief moments with other people's kids.

It may be the sunshine adding to my good mood or maybe the fact that the boss has been gone all week. Maybe it's the fact that I feel like I'm back on the weight-loss road or or maybe my happy pills are working. (Does Vitamin D3 keep working even when the sun is out?) Love God, Love Family & Love Myself. Life is good!