My So Called Life

I've always been a person who needs some time to myself in the morning. I haven't always been a person who gets time to myself in the morning, but I like to let the static come into focus before having to interact with other people. My mother was the same way. My predominant memory of mornings in my house growing up were of my mother coming into the kitchen to get coffee and sneaking back out, hoping nobody spoke to her. Before we were old enough to get our own breakfasts before school, my dad used to make us cheese toasts (cheese on bread, melted—and often burned—under the broiler.) When my dad was traveling and my mom was on duty, he breakfasts might have been better, but not the conversation.

So I turned into my mother. (Although I'm not a coffee drinker.)

If I'm the first one up, I sneak around hoping nobody will see me til I can get into a room by myself. I sometimes like to read in the mornings, and I sometimes like to write, and I sometimes like to stretch, or watch an episode of something. If I lived alone, I'd probably like to cook or hula hoop or play music or go outside and garden, but that might mean running into someone, so I tend to take my morning time sequestered.

But on mornings that I do get time alone, I don't always get time for pure selfish joy. I said I like to write or stretch or watch something, but I often end up paying bills or catching up on email or putting away clothes I dumped on the floor the night before, and the night before that, and the night before that.

After I finished The Wire, I wanted to start something new and different. I think it's because Homeland is back on that I got inspired to go watch My So Called Life, which I never watched in its short-lived life, and I've never seen since. One of the most talk-about, oft-references shows of all times, and I had never seen more than a clip. So on my first day back to work after yet another Jewish holiday, I woke up extra early and I watched the pilot. I met Angela, and Rayanne, and Ricky, and Jordan. I actually remember hearing about Ricky and Jordan back when it was on and my young friends watched it, so I almost felt like shaking their hands and saying it was a pleasure to finally meet them. The show's dated, but young Claire Danes is fantastic, and I got to snuggle under the covers on what turned into a very long and relentless day once I got out of bed, and lose myself in TV for an hour.