Remember when we were younger, and our parents would watch reruns of their favorite programs.
I’d sit alongside aunts and uncles on the plush couch, curled into the corner with a blanket. They’d say things like “I remember driving a Pontiac,” and take a brief visit down memory lane. Watching black-and-white movies with sassy heroines who always wore dresses and heels was nice. But mostly, I was there for the side conversations.
Then I’d get up to refill their water or make a snack run, and notice the dishes in the sink. A niece/nephew/cousin would lure me into a game, and that was the extent of my appreciation for the program—the time spent and the chance to learn more about a relative.
Now, I’m at the age where it’s easier to pick up a book than sort through hundreds of channels of television programs. By the time I’m done reading the channel listings, half an hour has passed.
Then, a recent discussion about M*A*S*H came to mind. I remembered the show being funny because my parents laughed. I watched the program. I can tell you the names of the character and their individual quirks. I couldn’t retell a single plot point, and I knew I was too young to get the jokes.
So it was years of one day I’ll get it. And that’s why I probably remember everything. I wanted to, hoping that the fairy of understanding would tap me on the head. Spoiler…she didn’t.
During one of those channel scrolling sessions, I thought, why not try to figure out why M*A*S*H was funny? My only expectation was to figure out why my parents were laughing so hard.
So there I was on the couch, with the shocking realization that I was the older relative visiting the past. This time I had experiences that hopefully would make this visit better than my first touch with the program.
After two episodes, I knew why I didn’t get the jokes. There was a lot of commentary on issues I was too young to understand.
One was about a woman’s role in society. It was a forward-thinking episode, especially after I learned that there was a time (and I was alive) when women needed a man to cosign to open a checking account. At that point, my biggest concern was keeping track of the quarters to buy my daily blue raspberry slushie at the corner store.
It gave me an appreciation for the art of merging humor with a message. Although many of the jokes that were funny in 1978 would be considered insensitive in 2025.
And that was the beginning of my”aha.”
I’ve always given people the benefit of the doubt, so when they say or do something off-color, I wait. They either lean in so their intent is obvious, or they realize what they’ve said and fix it.
TV programs tell the joke and move on, and thanks to my quirk, I did too.
Maturity removed the sting of not understanding the jokes the first time around.
What was supposed to be a nostalgic visit down memory lane became a stepping stone for reflection.
Now I wonder if that’s what the aunts and uncles were doing when I was telling stories and playing Hungry Hungry Hippos with the younger generation…Reflecting on how things had changed since they watched the program the first time.
And I get the feeling that’s what I’ll be doing in 2026. Looking back on how far we’ve come and continuing to move forward.
Shameless self-promotion ❤
Looking for a character like what you’ve read in the blog, you’d love Genevieve from 202 Canterbury Lane.
Genevieve thinks she’s going on a cruise to celebrate a friend’s upcoming wedding. She thinks she’s getting away for girl time and recuperation from a hectic life, where she helps care for her father. Little does she know that her older brother and his best friend, Travis Trent, have ideas of their own for making her life more interesting.