Hope

I have had this post in the back of my mind for a while now, but finally have a "free" day to finally get it out. 

A couple of weeks ago, I watched episodes of two of my all-time favorite shows and both hit on the concept of hope... so, while I am not having a crisis of any sort, it still got me thinking... (warning: semi-philosophical post ahead)

First up, we have Ruth Fisher.  Hearing Sia's "Breathe Me" recently on my iPod, got me back to watch the closing moments of the Six Feet Under series finale (yes, I still have it on my PC -- transferred from TiVo).  I always catch something different everytime I watch it.  This time, what struck a chord was what Ruth said to Claire as she hugged her goodbye:

"I pray you be filled with hope as long as you possibly can"

A very poignant line... and really quite devastating.  I always saw Ruth as the most tragic figure in SFU (and that's saying something!).  Her life clearly did not turn out the way she dreamed... something that was evident from the very first time we met her.  With this statement, she seems to be surrendering to the very idea of hope... that is gone for good... so, if life is a car does our "hope" tank eventually hit empty?

Which totally sounds like something that would scroll across the computer monitor of one of my favorite modern pop philosophers, Carrie Bradshaw.

Hope is something that our Sex and the City gal tackles every so often.  In the Season 5 episode "Unoriginal Sin," Carrie ponders:

"Is hope a drug we need to go off of, or is it the only thing keeping us alive?"

Hmmm... good question?!   Genetically, I fight a good deal of pessimism.  For example, in a Jan 1st e-mail, my Mom wished me a "happy new year" but added "let's hope it's better than last year."  Which puzzled me, because I couldn't come up with even one bad thing that happened to us in 2005... and certainly not me (personally last year was pretty darn good).  But, in the Weather Channel of life, my parents 5-day forecast always seems to include the proverbial and perpetual dark cloud.

Now don't get me wrong, I am no Pollyana.  On a scale of 1-10, with 1=pessimist 10=optimist (5=realist??), I am probably a solid 6.  I do hold on to a good deal of hope in life.  While stuff can occasionally get me down (i.e. politics)... it doesn't weigh me down for far too long (don't get me started on quoting the lyrics to "For Now" from Avenue Q).

Is hope a drug? Yeh, sort of ... or maybe more like a glass of wine... most effective when used in moderation (or maybe, literally, this is the bottle of wine we had last night speaking!)... hope is something we shouldn't overdose on (i.e. organized religion, sometimes - and I'll just leave it at that!)... but I think it is a necessary part of a happy life.

So taking this full circle ... it is my hope, that everyone who reads this is filled with some hope as well.

Thoughts?

Comments

[Gail]

Wow! I think I just figured out why I've been feeling blue for a couple of days. I always have hopes, but some of them have to be laid to rest occasionally. There must be a grieving process when that happens.

[Kenna]

If your Mom had inserted one word into her message it would have changed the whole perspective:

"Let's hope it's even better than last year."

See the difference? Me, I go back and forth. Sometimes glass half empty, sometimes glass half full. Today, I'm just glad I have a glass!

[DeAnn]

Poor Ruth. You just made me a little teary-eyed bringing up that line because ... well, just poor, poor Ruth. She clearly lost hope so young, when she chose marriage and family over her dreams. I love how much she wants for Claire, and even pushed Claire too hard at points. God, I miss that show.

I also miss Sex and the City, but for entirely different reasons. And I kind of hated Carrie by the end, so I was glad that one went out.

[Kim Dallas]

Great post! I hope you don't mind, but I hyperlinked you in my blog today. It really made me stop and think. I also love SFU! I am in the process of rewatching the entire series right now. I actually haven't see the last season, so I am very excited to see it. Thanks for keeping me in touch with US pop culture.