Feeling restless today I decided to take a break. It was early afternoon and I wanted brain candy to allow my mind to switch from functional to fun thinking. Sometimes I find doing something out of routine helps me concentrate better later on. Sometimes, however, it is just veers me off track and I find myself crashed on the couch in a thick blanket of guilt. Taking my chances I grabbed the remote and started flicking through the stations. No. No. No. Yuck. No. Then a refrain caught my attention. The theme song from the television series of old, Bonanza, was playing through the credits. I was immediately transported to Sunday nights at my grandmother’s house. She had the biggest crush on Lorne Greene claiming he bore a strong resemblance to my grandfather—a man who passed away two months after I was born—so she HAD to watch the show each week. My timing was such that I missed the episode, but I held the remote quietly wondering what was coming on next. Cue the music to The Big Valley with Barbara Stanwyck. How I loved that show when I was a kid. I was riveted. My momentary break ended up being a full hour as I immersed myself in childhood memories and the wonders of television circa the 1960’s. There were much, much, better things to be doing. And yet, I felt so nostalgic and happy that I hummed for the next several hours. It was the best part of my day.
