Hey, 'how
you doin'?'. This infamous dialogue, iconic, I might add, is a signature of
Joey from the hit sitcom 'Friends'. I honestly couldn't count how many
times it had made me laugh, even when I was at my lowest.
The perfect
life of cinema where everything seems to lead to a happy ending is the perfect
run-away for me when my life seems shattered. Whenever my life seems too much to handle, I run away to my imaginary friends, with whom I can share everything.
The amazingly sarcastic Chandler, the hopeless romantic Ted dedicated to
finding 'The One', the motherly nature of Lily, the overprotective Finn, the
'drowning with creativity' Barney, the 'smart guy' Sheldon, they all are the
friends I never had. I get scolded every single day for watching television way
too much. But the truth is that I love to live another life, and coming back to
my regular boring, uninteresting life just seems hectic.
Even if they
are just a figment of someone's imagination, they bring joy to me, and I feel
happy spending my time with them. Watching television always brings me joy, and I would like to thank them through this article. I am tremendously
confused about what I want to do when I grow up. But a part of me wants
to pursue the arts – acting, singing and dancing. But um, I am a terrible
dancer, but I got a good throat, and over the years, after watching shows, I can
somehow cry on cue. So, let's focus on the first two arts that I mentioned.
Don't you
want to pursue a more professional career? Nobody asked you, Patrice! That's
precisely how contradicting the voices in my heart are. While one part of me
wants to become a professional employee with an acclaimed job like a doctor,
accountant, lawyer, or engineer, the other part wants to spread the joy I
experienced while watching my favourite tv shows and movies. So, frankly, I
want to be an actor. But I don't know if I'm down for it, especially
considering my stage fear.
When I lost
my grandfather, these TV shows and movies helped me in the magnitude of words I
cannot express. WandaVision may not be the kind of TV show that teaches you a
life lesson, but the line that stood by me was 'What is grief if not love
persevering?'. That changed my perspective, and I want this grief to stay with
me for years to come.
So many dialogues
changed my perception of life and helped me while still giving me
joy. 'The biggest mistake would be not to make that mistake because then
you'll go your whole life not knowing if something was a mistake or not.' 'It's
one thing to not want it. It's another thing to be told you can't have
it.' These are a few of the most tear-jerking lines spoken by the characters.
But the line that I relate to now is 'I realized that I'm
searching for what I really want in life. And you know what? I have absolutely
no idea what that is.' Maybe I'll study to become a
doctor or engineer in a few years. But perhaps, just possibly, I might be spreading the kind of
joy I grew up experiencing.
But I will
realize that I can't run to the past just because it seems familiar and because
I'm comfortable with it. I will never be ready to face
these obstacles, but life goes on, and you have to catch up with it one way or
the other. This stuff is more straightforward said than done. So, I am aware there will be a
day when I feel happier and satisfied. There will be a day when I'll share that
happiness with people I will love while growing up. But just not today, just
not right now…
And that is friends, how I met the world of television.
Simar Kaur from Gyanshree School, Noida
