Optimism? ALWAYS - episode 45
I met this woman, Tammy, when we were girls, young teenagers really. We both belonged to a theater group for youth. I don’t remember how or when we clicked but we did. And as new friends do we spent time together outside of class and being in plays. Sleepovers, laughs, girl-talk. We were close. Then time marched on and we lost touch. This is where the benefits of social media come in.
You will enjoy hearing the conversation Tammy and I had. She is a joyous, intentional woman with deep thoughts and a loving heart. While we started out with one topic, we ended up heading into some other ones as well that represent compassion and positivity. Things we can do too.
Practical. Wise. Inspiring. Tammy has chosen to pay more attention, to be optimistic, and to look for the new things. You never know what kind of impact you can have. Plus simply putting yourself out there with passion, some change you think will make the world better, even on a small scale is worth doing. You will feel good pursuing, you will feel good doing. And who knows how it will turn out. Remember do not give up. Hard things can be done one step at a time.
The one platform I like to record on was not cooperating with me today so I went to my Plan B. Please know going in there are a few sound glitches you will notice. We did our best! And thanks for your patience.
Optimism. Joyful. Positive.
— Tammy
Diamonds and Daisies
Thoughts from Optimism? ALWAYS
Do you have a fictional character that you look up to? Maybe it’s someone from when you were growing up. Or maybe it’s someone from current times. It could be from a book, a movie, a TV series or a play. Impressive characters can really stick with you and influence you to want to be better. Your best self. Within our conversation Tammy mentioned two fictional characters that she is inspired by. They are from our youth, our formative years. I agreed with both of her choices! Marlo Thomas as Ann Marie in That Girl and Mary Tyler Moore as Mary Richards in The Mary Tyler Moore Show.
Let’s start with Ann Marie. Tammy is right. She had a stylish fashion sense (with no repeats of outfits!) and a spacious Manhattan apartment. She didn’t work much so how did all of that happen? As viewers we likely never noticed how unrealistic it was, and if we had, we wouldn’t have cared. Ann Marie is like Tammy. Optimistic. Joyful. Positive. She was so much fun to watch. She was independent, and although she was in love with Donald Hollinger, she wasn’t ready to make a commitment because she wanted to experience her career full-throttle. She was a modern woman of her time. So there was a lot to admire about her. And there still is. Her character holds the test of time. I still love the theme song. (This was back when they HAD theme songs!)
Diamonds, Daisies, Snowflakes,
That Girl
Chestnuts, Rainbows, Springtime...
Is That Girl
She's tinsel on a tree...
She's everything that every girl should be!
Sable, Popcorn, White Wine,
That Girl
Gingham, Bluebirds, Broadway...
Is That Girl
She's mine alone, but luckily for you...
If you find a girl to love,
Only one girl to love,
Then she'll be That Girl too...
That Girl!
source: http://www.lyricsondemand.com/tvthemes/thatgirllyrics.html
Next up Mary Richards. We’ve talked about her on the show before because she is my inspirational fictional character. Another independent, career gal, not waiting for love but if it comes waltzing by she is happy to see where it leads. Mary wants love but she doesn’t need it to complete her. She is enough all on her own and she knows it. That was part of the appeal. She had a best friend in Rhoda Morgenstern and what a dynamic duo they made! It is a classic show.
Jerry Seinfeld has sited it as one of his favorite shows. I would call that pretty high praise. As my kids were growing up I made sure they watched the DVDs I had so they had a good foundation of experiencing excellent writing, varied characters to make up arguably one of the most outstanding ensemble casts of all time, and simple plot lines with comedic genius woven throughout. It was created by James L. Brooks and carried out by some of the funniest actors through great directors and a top-notch crew. (Most people don’t realize comedy is actually more difficult to perform than drama. That is a blog for another time.)
We all wanted to be like Mary. Have a best friend like Rhoda. Sit next to a work buddy like Murray. Work for a boss like Mr. Grant. Manage someone like Ted? Maybe. He does grow on you. (Georgette really softened him up.) And even have a zany downstairs neighbor like Phyllis. (She always reminded me a bit of my own Aunt Mary.) Let’s not forget the unstoppable Betty White as Sue Ann Nivens with her racy zingers.
If you haven’t ever seen it do yourself a favor and check it out. If you haven’t seen it in a while it’s streaming on Hulu or even splurge and buy it. It’s vintage, timeless, a classic, and it’s not going away. I will leave you with this: (Another theme song. Can you imagine?)
I will confess I get goosebumps when I hear BOTH of these songs. There is something about the picture they paint of these women - liberated, empowered, fully themselves. Sounds unabashed, don’t you think?
How will you make it on your own?
This world is awfully big, girl this time you're all alone
But it's time you started living
It's time you let someone else do some giving
Love is all around, no need to waste it
You can have the town, why don't you take it
You might just make it after all
You might just make it after all!
source: http://www.lyricsondemand.com/tvthemes/marytylermooreshowlyrics.html
(These water drops look like little diamonds to me so they are in honor of Ann Marie. Diamonds, daisies…)
You can’t be brave if you’ve only had wonderful things happen to you.
— Mary Tyler Moore
