by Dani Mc Mahon
Watching a television series can sometimes serve as a modern day version of therapy. Emerging ourselves in the lives of the characters and living vicariously through them allows us the time and space we need to unwind and relax, taking a time-out from our busy lives.
The flip side to this is that you do, inevitably, end up becoming attached to the characters in your favourite shows and you feel as though you are entitled to your opinion on what is happening in their lives on screen.
Sex and the City was hailed as a one of the kind show when it debuted. Showing a side of female sexuality and friendship which had never before been explored, it showed the world what living in Manhattan as a single woman in your thirties was all about.
Centred around four best friends it was impossible not to feel like you were the invisible fifth member of the group. As a result you felt their pain and sometimes pleasure as they made their way from relationship to relationship, or in Samantha's case, from bed to bed.
Those of you who have watched the series and the subsequent movies will know all about the central relationship between Carrie and Mr. Big. Their love story is one of passion and woe and has more ups and downs than most roller coasters. As an honorary fifth member of the group I often find myself watching and wondering why, oh why, she ever ended up with Big. Let me explain why.
In season three Carries starts dating Aidan, a furniture designer. Aidan is a sensitive guy who loves Carries exactly as she is (minus the smoking, but we won't hold that against him.) Watching their relationship develop it is impossible not to scream at the screen as Carries does everything she can to sabotage their relationship as she is so hung up on Big.
Big is a slightly unavailable, commitment-phone, who does not seem completely comfortable with the real Carrie, so why does she keep running back to him?
Carries herself ponders this is as she sees herself headed down a path of self-destruction but never manages to stop herself.
As I watch Carrie basically destroy her own happiness I always find myself thinking about life in general and wondering if we all do this at some point in our lives? Not just in relationships.
Have you ever found yourself headed towards success, happiness, your goal and then suddenly backing away from it? What is it within us that makes us so afraid of having exactly what we want?
Having thought about it for a while I have come to the conclusion that we all may have developed a fear, maybe not obviously, of achieving everything why have ever aimed towards and then being rendered useless.
Carrie is a perfect example of this as she settles, for what I perceive to be, a mediocre relationship. Perhaps she too was living what many will come to live, a fear of having the perfect life and then falling into an anti-climax.
Is there a way to stop this? Of course there is, we simply have to keep setting goals. Imagine our lives as a game where you complete level after level increasing the difficulty as you go.
With this in mind perhaps it is time to start making some new, realistic goals for the New Year?
What does your list of goals for the 2016 look like?
No comments:
Post a Comment