Monday, May 11, 2009

Soap Operas

Natalie threw out a challenge last week on her blog Curly Wurly Gurly...so I thought it would be fun to participate.

Theme posting.

This weeks' theme, Soap Operas.

I've never been much of a soap opera watching gal. I remember my mom watching General Hospital, and my sister got into Days of Our Lives during the summer when school was out. But for some reason, I could never drag myself into the club.

I mainly think the reason was I had no one to watch them with....that knew what was going on.

How was I to know that the leading lady had just come back from the dead, only to find that her son was actually her brother?

What do you mean the leading man is playing a doctor, but his character is actually a spy sent to watch and eventually kill the millionaire's daughter?

In high school, I dated a guy 2 years older than I was. I dated him all 4 years of high school actually, believe it or not.

During the summer, I'd notice his dad watching TV in the afternoon...for an hour. No matter what he was doing, no matter what he was working on....when it came to 1:00 (or was it noon? I forget)...he's sneak away without warning.

Nej: Where is it he goes for an hour every afternoon?

Ex: He's watching his show.

Nej: What show is that?

Ex: All My Children



Nej: (giggling) I'm sorry...it's just I can't help it. He's a dude, as much of a dude as a dude can get. Works on cars, owns his own auto glass company, provides for his family so his wife can stay at home to cook and clean and take care of the kids. HE watches a soap?

Ex: Yep, he has for as long as I can remember.

Nej: Well...I've gotta see this for myself.

I sat down on the couch in the living room.....and watched with him one day. The next day, at 1:00, he left the room....then came back and asked if I was coming? He seemed almost frustrated that I dare forget what time it was.

Without warning, I was a part of the soap watching ritual. :-)

For 4 months, I watched that soap with him almost every day. I never asked a question. Somehow, he knew when I'd need a little backstory for that day's episode to make sense. He'd fill me in on what I needed to know (over the commercial break, of course). He never told me too much, and never told me too little.

I guess you could say he was very efficient when it came to filling me in on what was going on.

I tried watching the soap the next summer, after I'd broken up with the ex...but it just wasn't the same as watching it with his dad.

I know....it sounds strange now that I type it out.

I used to watch soaps with my boyfriend's dad. :-) :-)

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

that is terrific! i was also inspired to get into a soap in high school...but not by my boyfriend's dad. i enjoyed a brief 'guiding light' stint in 9th and 10th grade. also, in middle school i was a fan of santa barbara!

Vic said...

I never could do that whole soap opera thing, even though I used to know a lot of people who were addicted to them.

I love that you watched them with his dad.

mo.stoneskin said...

I was right all along, I never believed you were a soap opera girl!

Nej said...

Breaking up with that guy was hard, only because his parents were so cool. I used to walk my St. Bernard around town during the summer mornings...my route went right by their house...they'd stop me to come in for breakfast anytime they saw me. :-)

Brook said...

We watched soaps every summer-and General Hospital when we got home from school. I really do need to post about it-there was/is some kind of ritual here that needs to be explored.

Nej said...

@ Brook - you definitely should write about the ritual. :-)