I know that Life is not all peaches and cream, but when I look back on my childhood comic characters I get a real feeling of happiness. A feeling absent all the bad stuff that may have been happening then in the news (the bouncing ball murderer), or in the home (new step-father because father died). I received a Harvey Comics book as a prize and I love it! Little Huey, Richie Rich, Litle Dot and Casper flying through the air. Free and easy. Fantasy. I still want Life to be like a Fantasy. The way it seemed to be in the 50s and 60s. The way it was when, sometimes, I would come home from school and mom would have the windows open with the curtains blowing in the breeze while she washed dishes and listened to opera. When I was taught to not use God’s name in vain and to always cross myself when I passed a church. To be respectful.

Today our society seems to want to embrace and show its anger. So much so that we now have to censor ourselves on social media. A loss of freedom. The thing is our world actions have led to watching what we say, even if what we say is simply a line from a TV program. I am not free to comment on social media without first making sure my words are not invoking some kind of violence. I posted on Facebook a line from a Twilight Zone TV episode with Telly Savalas. “My name is Tina and I am going to **** you.” The title of the episode is Living Doll. Facebook admonished me for posting incendiary language. They did not suspend me but they might next time. Our need to be angry is skewing our freedom. I do not blame one man for not pointing out the bad apples and deleting them, because there are so many unhappy people out there. Once I posted a comment and someone replied to me that they hoped someone would try to drown me and no one was there to save me. I was so astonished I replied “No you don’t! You don’t even know me! What would your mother think if she heard you say that!? People today no longer care what their mother would say. So now I have to censor myself on Facebook. In the Twilight Zone episode the doll did not like Telly Savalas so she warned him of her plan for him.

I know that Norman Lear chose to make TV sitcoms that brought laughter into peoples lives. He knew about the rough times and wanted to introduce some fun into our evenings. Hence, shows like Maude. This sitcom did include dark humor, controversy and drama, it was also quite funny at times. Bea Arthur had a magnificent handle on comedy. She said on an interview that the fact that she had work on her own show made her feel like a “middle-aged Cinderella.” Awwww, that’s nice.

Good Times, executive produced by Lear, was definitely about living with laughter and positivity even though life certainly came with problems. Weeping Wanda, played by Helen Martin was always good for a laugh and don’t forget Johnny Brown as Buffalo Butt. I loved this show. It was funny and sometimes, carefree. I was a single mother with an 8 year old daughter, I needed a TV sitcom or two in the evenings. Even the Twilight Zone episodes sometimes made me laugh. After all, who ever heard of a talking doll? Too bad when Telly fell down the stairs, though, wasn’t it? LMAO

May this be a year that tempers our anger, relieves our anxieties and allows us to feel free and easy.

I am sending out Love vibes to all. Thanks, for stopping by.