The Myth by Which We Die...

Confession. Instead of reading great literature in the evening, or painting great works or art, or even vacuuming the floor, I've been watching this pretty ridiculous "drama" about women who work a ranch in Australia. It gives me a good fix of the farm life. I'm pretty sure I wouldn't last a day, but the fantasy is that I would. At the very least, I would love chickens in my back yard. I also like the idea of working outside all day and then being able to eat real food with no guilt. Sitting in my office chair really doesn't open that door.

I know it's not all real, though the beautiful women who star in this show actually get filthy dirty. They don't manage to do the farm work and stay clean and well-coiffed as many shows portray. They do, however, manage to do hard labor all day, then cook themselves dinner and sit and enjoy it like they didn't wish with their whole beings for a bed and some sleep. The house also cleans itself now. They did have a woman whose role was house upkeep, but she left to become a scholar and now the house magically cares for itself. I would pay good money for a house like that.

I know I've written on this before, but this show (made between 2001 and 2008) is again this "don't help me"… "don't share what's going on in my life with anyone"… "don't tell the truth"… "I have to do it myself or it's not valid."

PEOPLE!  We need each other. We don't do anything on our own. Our relationships are healthier if we communicate with each other. We cannot succeed at anything if we try and do everything alone. 

Yes. That's what I yell at the TV. Really. I talk to them because they are so stupid. It's a bit scary.

Does anyone else think this way of life is crazy? Does everyone else in the world think it is normal and right to work so hard to isolate from all those around us unless we are perfect and perfectly competent and perfectly in control. Because if that is normal, you'll never see me again.

OK. Periodically on an episode we "realize" that our friends have our backs and it's good to ask for help and there are tears all around and we celebrate. But they never learn. The craziness starts again the very next episode.

So, I'm not sure what the moral of the story is…probably don't watch soap opera drama. But I do know this, living without relationships is not living at all. It's death. Being independent is not a cause to celebrate, it's the cause of loneliness and fear. "Doing it myself," "making my own decisions," "handling it alone,"…it's not the successful measure by which we live.

It's the myth by which we die.