West Wing and Life
I love to watch West Wing. Don’t know it? It was a series about the White House from 1999 to 2006. The writing was brilliant and the dynamics of the show incredible. Though it is about a Democratic president, even some of the most die hard Republicans I know loved the show. Why? Because it showed how things work, idealism, tenacity, relationships, loyalty – any number of things to grab on to.
Even now, when the show has been off the air for sometime, people watch it over and over. My husband and I have taken to watching an episode (we actually bought it on disc) just after the news headlines (and we’ve gotten all the kids off to school) on weekdays if we can. We find that somehow we feel a bit more inspired for the day. Here are some things I’ve learned from West Wing:
- Idealism – believe in something and hold on to it. Believe you can make a difference and change the world.
- Everyone’s Needed – each job/position is important. From the chef, to the clerk, to the power brokers – everyone is needed. Charlie’s position is as valuable as Leo’s.
- Mediocrity Stinks – no one minds if you don’t know how to do something if you’re willing to learn. But doing enough to just get by is unacceptable. C.J.’s move through the White House could only happen because of her demonstrated willingness to learn more than she had to for her position.
- True Friendships stand through Crisis – being friends doesn’t mean you won’t struggle or disagree with each other. It does mean that you’ll know who your real friends are if you can make it through crisis like Toby and Josh, or Toby and C.J., or Josh and Donna, or Jed and Leo.
I would have liked to be Mrs. Landingham or even Debbie, but that wasn’t my path. So I’ll do my part and do it as well as I can. Good Monday morning!
My recommended blog today is: Chick Chosen – a fun little blog to check out.
It's nice when a tv program mirrors real life in this conceptual way. I think that's what can draw an audience, be it to tv, or a book, or art, is that connection.
This was a good show. I wasn't a faithful watcher, but I liked it when I did. I think people gravitate towards it because so much seems broken in the government since that show started.