Lately I have been thinking, quite a bit, about my own adolescence.... not childhood, rather the teenage years,..more to the point from about age 11 or 12 onward. The time of our lives when we really hold on to memories of things we felt and did. In my life the point from which the person I have become started to emerge, the influences in my life at that age. One of the first things that comes to mind is The Partridge Family,... mainly because, a few days ago, David Cassidy died.
The Partridge Family was a television program about a family band, airing on Friday night. The performed, sang, before audiences. At that age it was pleasant to believe the illusion that the children were actually doing the singing,... the mother (portrayed by Shirley Jones) tried to keep her brood under control, but growing children rebel and have adventures, and being a television program, hilarity ensues....
but the music.... Happy songs mostly, ...sung by David Cassidy (stepson of Shirley Jones). Various songs, some happy, and some sad, but songs I still enjoy listening to, and having stuck in my head. Cheerfulness without which my life may have turned darker. Thus I follow that memory with The Mary Tyler Moore Show...
link to the Theme from The Mary Tyler Moore Show - Love Is All Around
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| "..you're gonna make it after all...." |
When I hear that theme song I am transported... in my mind I am 12 years old again,...sitting in a red, swivel chair, before a television set, in a living room in suburban Chicago-land.... innocent, absorbing ideas like a sponge. Mary lives alone, she works, she struggles, and she takes care of herself. She shares with her friends: Rhoda (Valerie Harper), Phyllis (Cloris Leachman); and coworkers: Murray (Gavin McLeod), Ted (Ted Knight), Lou (Ed Asner)..... It is a lesson that a female human can make it on her own. That women are strong, capable, and still nurturing.
Following The Mary Tyler Moore Show was The Bob Newhart Show, a funny, fun program about a psychologist in Chicago, his wife, their neighbor, and featuring scenes of group therapy with a bunch of neurotic patients, a kooky office mates... innocuous and enjoyable... a little innuendo, some pratfalls, and just plain good laughs.
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| Bob Newhart, Suzanne Pleshette, Marcia Wallace, Peter Bonerz, Bill Daily |
And, rounding out the Saturday evening viewing fun, this was followed by The Carol Burnett Show... which never failed to include a plethora of hilarious skits and segments, thanks the brilliance of Carol Burnett, Harvey Korman, Tim Conway, Vicki Lawrence, and a variety of guest stars.... And part of what made it so enjoyable was that the cast had a tough time keeping a straight face themselves.... seeing their glee made us laugh harder, like we were a part of the joke.
Mrs. Wiggins and Mr. Tudball; the infamous Gone With The Wind takeoff with Carol wearing the drapes.... Tim Conway and Harvey Corman cracking each other up with whatever silliness they attempted to perform....
From these I formed my sense of humor, irony, seriousness, and my self....
other life lessons were learned before this time, and many many more lessons came after.... but from this brief period of pleasant weekend evenings grew my identity....
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