Soap Operas
Because I’m obsessed, I’ve been watching old episodes of As the World Turns on youtube. They don’t have all of them, just what seem to be pivotal plot points, like a serial killer taken down or a bride left at the altar for her sister.
I’ve forgotten how much I LOVE SOAP OPERAS. Now, I don’t know why. They’re not brilliant, and story lines drag and actors come and go, but I LOVE them. When I was a little girl, my mom watched ATWT and Guiding Light, and let me watch with her. I loved the music, I loved the romance, I loved watching with my mom.
When my grandmother retired and moved out to the country, then fell and broke her hip, she started watching Days of Our Lives. I was in high school and started watching, too, and we’d write letters to each other discussing the characters like they were members of our own families. I don’t remember if I recorded the shows or not, or if she kept me up, but I know for a while, we were even getting Soap Opera Digest, we were so hooked. We liked Another World, too, but it wasn’t as wild as DOOL.
When Fred and I were dating, we’d watch Santa Barbara together, sometimes in person, but most of the time on the phone. Cruz and Eden’s theme song “I Believe in You and Me” was our wedding song. I think I saw Every Episode of Santa Barbara. Mason and Mary were my favorite couple, but I wanted to be Eden.
When I was in college, I had a break in classes at 11 AM, which is what time All My Children was shown. So I’d eat my lunch in the TV room and watch All My Children, then dash out to my noon class.
My All My Children love continued when I started having summer breaks. All My Children came on at lunch time, so I’d put it on while I was eating. It became a sanity saver when I was writing. I’d write in the morning, take an AMC lunch-and-sewing-break, then take my nap. If I went to go get lunch, I’d race back to be home by 11.
Now I understand they show AMC online. Once I get through these ATWT episodes (or get over my obsession) I’m going to go back to that show.
Do you watch soaps? Do you know why? I wish I knew why. They help me relax and make me happy.
