Farewell to Monk

Yesterday Larry and I stayed up late saying farewell to the TV show Monk. It has been our favorite, right up there with Seinfeld. For years we have had a routine of watching it together on Friday nights. We even quote Monk to each other. The show has come to an end now. The characters in the show were treated kindly--they found love and happiness as the show ended. People's reactions to the show ending got me thinking about the importance of stories in our lives. We idolize TV and movie stars and enjoy reading about their lives. We often spend more time involved emotionally with imaginary stories than people in our own lives. It can be good to experience various adventures vicariously and learn lessons in life. For example, the movie Schindler's List had a big impact on me when I saw that good can happen even in horrific situations. Think of the movie The Ten Commandments (which was Phil's favorite very briefly when he was a boy). It helped teach him a little about the Bible and the Exodus. Movies and books that are pure trash (I saw The Hangover recently, which is cleaverly crafted trash) also have value if they get you to laugh and forget your troubles for awhile. I suppose all things in moderation is the point I should be making. We shouldn't rely on reading or movies or TV to the extent that we avoid interacting with real people and real situations.

That being said (Seinfeld on Curb Your Enthusiasm did a bit about people who prefaced their comments with "that being said") after Monk was over last night, I visited the websites of a few favorite authors to make sure that they had some new books coming. Elizabeth Peters has a new Amelia Peabody book coming out in March, Dana Stabenow also has a Kate Shugak one in the works, and new Monk novel has just been released. After I found out that my imaginary friends were going to visit me soon, I could go to sleep.