Dear Jessica Brennan,
“What’s in the news?” asks Dad.
“Uh covid, covid, covid and covid,” I reply.
We ignore it: the numbers and the obsession with spreading fear from morning until night. We step away from it.
Over the confinement of the last two years, Dad and I formed a new habit. We try to watch something funny before bed. We’ve seen various British comedies and then eventually landed on Frasier and watched all eleven seasons.
There’s something about escaping to Frasier’s living room with him and Daphne, Niles and Martin and having a laugh. It brings us back to a familiar time. Bulldog and Roz sparring is a favourite. It takes us out of 2022 for a little while.
I notice Dad’s favourite chair is moving toward the condition of Frasier’s dad’s chair. So I now say, “That chair is from The Marty Crane Collection.”
A good laugh as you drop off to sleep really does help.
Roz: Well, I think hugging is very healthy. I read somewhere that if you have physical contact on a regular basis, it can actually extend your life.
Frasier: Well, in that case, you should outlive Styrofoam!
After finishing Frasier, we left Seattle and now visit “The Swamp” each night. M*A*S*H has replaced Frasier, so Hawkeye and Hotlips send us off to sleep with several giggles. M*A*S*H also has eleven seasons. I wonder where we will go next. Cincinnati?
Great TV shows have given us something cozy to look forward to. They help us come down from dark days and drift off with a bit of sunshine before bed. The eras these sitcoms represent were not simpler, but memory has a way of knocking the rough edges off things. Waco, Texas shootings, Northridge earthquakes, EgyptAir 990 crash and 911 – these things all happened while Frasier was on the air. Likewise, Watergate, the Vietnam War, John Lennon murdered, and the Iran hostage crisis all happened while M*A*S*H came into our living rooms.
I hope that one day, twenty years from now, people will look back at this pandemic era and remember it through a softer lens. Hopefully, memories will include positive bonds with family and friends and decisions made about what’s really important. But, for now, enduring comedy helps smooth out the edges in real-time.
So have a laugh when you can, and stay strong, my friends. Always believe in,
Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happy hour. – Hawkeye Pierce.
Love,
Mum xo