Donna Reed v. Carrie Bradshaw

If you want to see how society has changed over the years, look no further than your TV set. As times and standards in society have changed, so have the shows on the television. Shows reflect a society’s moral, racial, religious and political views.

Some of the most popular shows in the mid 1900s were shows like “The Donna Reed Show” and “Leave It to Beaver.” “The Donna Reed Show” featured a housewife who cooked and cleaned the house in high heels and perfect hair. She had dinner on the table every night when her husband came home. The children were her responsibility and she had a plastic smile permanently plastered on her face. “Leave it to Beaver” featured Beaver Cleaver and his family. He grew up in a household where his father was wise and the leader of the house. His mother never raised her voice or challenged her husband’s decisions. Although Beaver and his brother sometimes fought, they were almost civil and polite. The trouble Beaver and his friends got into is harmless mischievousness. These two shows are examples of what the mid-1900s society values were. In the typical television family, there was a father who worked and earned the money, a mother who stayed home and tended the children and one or two children who did well in school and rarely misbehaved. These television families and their friends were white God-fearing people. They supported the President and respected the government.

Today’s television shows have changed quite a bit from that time. Television families of today vary from single parents to divorcées, like “Brace face” on Disney. In this animated children’s show, the mother and father are divorced and the children live with their working mother. Their friends are of different races and colors. Those shows that do have two parents are nothing like Donna Reed or the Cleavers. In “Everybody Loves Raymond,” Debra is constantly challenging Raymond and pushing him to do things. Raymond’s parents often visit their house as well, and his parents argue and fight. Both women dress in jeans or what is comfortable. Occasionally Raymond or Debra will make mistakes in raising their kids and are forced to rectify the situation. In the popular “Sex in the City,” one of the main characters has a serious relationship with a man of a different race. Their casual talk of sex and boyfriends would shock the heels off Donna Reed. These four women are independent with their own careers and lifestyles. One of them gets divorced and then remarried to a Jew, while another has a child out of wedlock. These actions are no longer looked upon as unnatural or shameful. In today’s society, women are an integral part of the work force. They have their own careers and lives aside from being mothers and wives. Even if they are house wives, like Debra in “Everybody Loves Raymond,” they have no qualms about challenging what their husband says or thinks. In a sense, there is almost no typical television family. There are various races and religions portrayed on the screen. While some parents are still smart, they are no longer seen as the all-knowing, all-wise ones they once were. Some children are well-behaved and obedient, while others constantly act out, pushing their parents to the edge.

As you can see, television families have changed through the years as society has changed. What was once unacceptable and unspeakable is now normal and dinner discussion. Almost any type of family can be found on TV today. Television of the 1950s reflects society and societal values of the same time. Television of today reflects the values and norms of today.
om my birthday. I wanted to get some books by Kay Redfield Jamison. I got An Unquiet Mind which I’ve already read, but I wanted my own copy, and Touched With Fire. As William Styron said, “Touched with Fire is a fine and artfully written work. Kay Jamison is plainly among the few who have a profound understanding fo the relationship that exists between art and madness.” Know why I wanted this book now? She’s a professor at John Hopkins, which also houses the Peabody School of Music, where I want to go someday. Maybe I’ll get to meet her and she’ll sign my books! Anyways, I also got a small copy of Pride and Prejudice. I still need to finish Dracula but I think that’s going to be my next ‘classic.’ I realise there are some classic books I want to read, so I’m slowly working my way through them, instead of waiting for time to read them. That time will really never appear. I just have to make time for them, like I make time to write in OD. Ok, so after B&N we went to the mall to give Annemarie the clothes she still left in my car. Then I took Nitta home. I love her to death, but I was so exhausted. I think Saturday was the worst day for my cold and I was hungover, which didn’t help. I got home around 3 and had a little over an hour before I was supposed to babysit Eleana and Jeremiah. I spent the time writing out the Postlude for Sunday, or at least starting it. I was a bad babysitter though. We played a few board games and then we picked out a movie to watch. I thought I had been tired during the day, but that night was so much worse. We watched “The Incredibles” which was pretty cute. Dinner was pizza, so we paused the movie and ate. After that I made them get into their PJs and get ready for bed. Eleana sometimes falls asleep during the movie, and its hard getting her changed when she does. After we finished the movie, I read them “The Lorax” (I just adore Dr. Suess.) and into bed. Their father always makes me coffee when I babysat so I was able to stay up and prep for Sunday’s service, do economic studying and even start on a Midsummer Night’s Dream for English. They had gone to a dinner about 90 minutes away, so it was late when they got home. I got home after 1 in the morning and I was slightly awake from the work. I was thinking and worrying about everything I needed to do the next morning. I did sleep some, but like most of this week it wasn’t all that great.

SUNDAY’s service went really well. Michael and Scott played trombone and trumpet, respectively, with me on the hymns. Everything went really well and I’m glad I did it. Playing for me is a way to get my emotions out and to let go. Its worship, its praying and its really theraputic. I’ve discovered that other people find my playing theraputic too. With everything that has been happening with CK, everyone needed a little therapy I think. First service I played upstairs since the congregation is that much larger. The second service we moved downstairs. The congregation is smaller and playing in the front gives it a very intimate feel. Between the services there is about an hour of time. Usually people visit and chat in the fellowship hall where the coffee is served. About 30 mins before the second service, I started playing some of the other praise music softly on the piano in the front. To me, thats my worship service. Thats my praying, my talking with God. It prepares people for worship and creates a very meditative and peaceful feeling the sanctuary. It creates two seperate places within the church. The fellowship hall is for just that – fellowship: talking, laughing, chatting, catching up. The sanctuary is for worship – peaceful, contemplative, quiet. I don’t want it to become that the sanctuary is more holy than the fellowship hall, because they are really just plywood and plaster. Its the atmosphere in each room that is important. A few people mentioned how nice it was to have that feeling, that setting in the sanctuary when they decided to come in for worship.

Yes, Paul was there. I saw him come in with his parents, brother and sister-in-law. We have a time in the begining of the service, when we do a greet and shake. The pastors make various “church business” annoucements and then we stand and welcome those people around us. Then Keith says “Now we prepare ourselves for worship” or something along those lines. That is when the prelude starts. Paul was sitting on the other side of the sanctuary from the piano, but during the greet and shake, he caught my eye and waved his arm in the air. I’m sure anyone looking at me saw my face change to 3 or 4 shades of red. I couldn’t keep from smiling, that goofy big smile. After the service, he came up and long with a lot of other people to say hi and good job and whatnot. He was adorable, waiting off to the side until everyone else was done. We talked few a while before I worked up the nerve to ask him if he had any afternoon plans. He said he was meeting up with some friends later. I told him I was asking because I wanted to know if he wanted to go grab some breakfast/brunch/lunch with me. He said he couldn’t today, but maybe next week. I said that next week was Thanksgiving Sunday and I wasn’t sure how busy things would be. He said he had to go to some family function that afternoon but he didn’t know when they were leaving, but if it didn’t work out we could do it the next weekend or just some other time. He asked what my weekday looked like cause he has large blocks of free time. He was absolutly adorable. I’m blushing now just thinking about it. I told him I was done with class at 12:15 and didn’t pick up Eleana until 2:30. He said he had my parent’s number because he was going to call my mom about something, and he’d give me a call sometime this week. I was thinking about it this afternoon, and he knew without hesitation that he had my parent’s house number and where it was. It makes me think that he’s been thinking of calling me, but didn’t want to without my permission. Its all very after-school-special, but its cute. Old-fashioned and just perfectly right. So I’ll be obsessing about that all week long now! But its a happy thing, so I’m excited. And I actually have plently to think about besides that.

I’m directing the adult handbell choir until Christmas and then someone else will take over if I go away. Michael was asked, but when I talked to him today, he was relieved that he didn’t have to step up until January. It gives him some time to talk to his wife and figure his schedule out – even say no if he decides that. Tomorrow I have an economics exam, a philosophy paper and general work in pscyh and lit. I also have my audition, which I need to practice for and worry about. Next Sunday I’m directing the handbells in the church service and then we start working on Christmas music (which I need to pick out) and then the winter choral concerts begin happening. Not to mention school is still going on at this point. So I’ll be plenty busy.

After church and after Paul left, Keith and Betsy adopted me for brunch and took me with them out to eat with Keith’s mother and our associate pastor Marie. We talked somewhat about CK and the situation. I expressed the few concerns I had and shared the McN saga with Keith. I told him that I thought the best thing was that things were not being hiddenor kept secrets. The one thing that can slow gossip, if not halt it all together is the truth. When there are holes or unknowns in stories, people start guessing and filling the holes with guesses. We know what happened. He is addicted to cocaine. He stole money from the church. He resigned. None of that is being hidden or kept secret from the congregation. When everyone knows the truth, there isn’t much to gossip about. Well, thats not entirely true because a drug problem is sexy and that alone will create some drama. But I told Keith I thought it was good that the truth was put out there and so quickly too. Someone asked me (I think maybe Jenny) why McN was kept a secret for so long. To be honest, I don’t remember who really made that decision or why. I was young and innocent enough that I was just dealing with what happened. I didn’t even think about why it had to be kept secret. There are some other things that are being handled better than with McN. It was just a good time, part of the healing process. After that, I came home with the plan to get the house cleaned and do some homework. I fell asleep and woke up around 9. Now its almost 1:30, so I’m going to bed. My cold is subsiding. I think the worst day was Saturday, but I still need my sleep.

A subdued silence undisturbed by the sound of her breath.
So carefully, brush her hair back from her eyes
In steady sequence, one by one.
She slips away.

So close your eyes and sleep to dream.
I’m by your side.
No words to speak.
We’ll set our course and make it through.
No matter how far I go my heart remains with you.

And I’m not sure what I’m looking for.
But it’s clear to see the purpose of my exsistance Is laying here in front of me.

So close your eyes and sleep to dream.
I’m by your side.
No words to speak.
We’ll set our course and make it through.
No matter how far I go

And if all else fails you can look up at the sky
Because it’s the same one that shines above you and I.
And if all else fails you can close your eyes
And I’ll be right beside you.
I’ll be the one by your side.

So close your eyes and sleep to dream.
I’m by your side.
No words to speak.
We’ll set our course and make it through.
No matter how far I go
No matter how much this hurts
I wanted you to know,
My heart remains with you.

If All Else Fails ~ Matchbook Romance