A Little Here and There

In an age where binging and consuming copious amounts of content is the norm, I often like to take a step back and engage with snippets of my favorite tv shows, books, movies, in order to reconnect with the stories. For me, it offers moments of nostalgia, remembrance, and an opportunity to slow down in our fast-moving world.

Yesterday, I was having one of those days. One of those days where the environment around me felt overwhelming and I needed to be brought back to my center. I went back to three pieces of content in order to engage my mind, find old pieces of my creativity, and rethink how I was going to cotinue my day.

First, I watched three episodes of The Twilight Zone, one of the most, if not the most, iconic series in television history. Not only does it provide existential thought, but for me, it also takes me back to being a kid watching episodes with my father. Made in the late 1950s and early 1960s, the themes of the episodes often had post-apocalyptic, post-WW2, and cold war messages strung throughout. In a weird way, even as a kid, I often find myself connecting to the themes of the episode outside of their larger context. The episodes I chose to view were ones I use to rewatch all the time, "Time Enough at Last”, “Nick of Time”, and “Nightmare at 20,000 Feet”. The first, "Time Enough at Last”, centers around Henry Bemis, a bank teller who wants to spend all his time reading, much to the chagrin of his boss and his wife. One day, he finds himself in the bank vault in order to get some privacy with his books, when a nuclear explosion takes place. Henry comes out of the vault to find the world in complete destruction. What at first seems like a nightmare quickly turns into a dream when he discovers all the books that survived the explosion. Henry now has time, all the time in the world to read. Right as he picks up the first book, Henry’s thick glasses fall to the ground and shatter, leaving him no ability to see the words on the page. This episode always reminded me “be careful what you wish for”. Henry’s wish for time comes true but the solitude of his life becomes more apparent, both before and after the explosion. In the episode, “Nick of Time”, a newlywed couple gets stuck in small town Ohio when their car breaks down. The superstitious husband becomes attached to fortune telling machine in a small cafe, dictating each of his movements based on the answers he receives. By the end he becomes a bit crazy and is pulled back into reality by his wife. The wife reminds him, and us the viewer, that we have the power to control our own lives. It may often seem like our path is written out, but at the end of the day, you have the ability to take steps in any direction that feels right. As it is apparent in the episodes I chose, I have been thinking a lot about time recently. As I near the first 8 months of living in Manhattan, I find myself reflecting back and thinking about the time I have already spent here, and what time will look like moving forward. I get so wrapped up in it, that I often forget to think about the here and now. These episodes and the rewatches bring me to a fully different time in my life and I am able to fully comprehend where I am in the current moment. Sometimes, when you are feeling like you are free falling through the present days, the best thing to do is to go back to a completely different time and pull yourself out.

Next I decided to watch the opening 30 minutes of the mini series, The Pursuit of Love, a highly-underrated show based on the novel by Nancy Mitford. The one scene that always takes my breath away, in both its comedic value but also its ability to completely define a character, occurs in these opening minutes. Set against a stale, strict British Lord played by Dominic West, comes the neighboring lord played by Andrew Scott. In the minute and a half sequence we are presented with Scott’s entire persona that continues throughout the show. The ability to capture a character in such a short amount of time is a feat in its own, but to capture the superficial yet dramatic and inspiring character that Scott plays is so special. I recommend a watch of the entire show if not for that scene alone.

Lastly I found some literary delight in reading the opening of The Secret History when Richard arrives at Hampden College in Vermont. While I have read her brilliant novel in its entirety, I was drawn back to these opening pages when we first see the group through Richard’s fresh, virgin eyes. There is something so thrilling as a reader to read these pages knowing the adventure he is about to embark on. And finally on the second read, you are more akin to the voice on the page, as it is Richard in the future largely reflecting on his time at the school. To me, it feels like you are a part of their secret group and no longer a spectator. It brings me an immense about of satisfaction, one of the main feelings I hope to gain when I consume any sort of content.

We don’t need to always watch whats new, 8 hours of television, or a million books. Sometimes going back, watching a little something here and there is just what we need to invigorate our creative juices and bring us a little joy