Sitcom Lessons

Sometimes a sitcom not only makes me laugh, but also makes me think.

Here is an exchange I watched recently where the girl was wondering why she wasn't feeling a strong connection with her new boyfriend:

Girl: "There’s something about the way he treats people."

Guy: "He’s a tourist. He vacations in people’s lives, takes pictures, puts them in his scrapbook, and moves on. All he’s interested in are stories........Basically he’s selfish."

It made me wonder about how I treat people. I REALLY love stories (making memories, telling (and retelling....and retelling.......) stories) and I think that, in a lot of my "groups" of friends, I am known as "the fun one" who is up for anything - but I wonder how many strong, "real" connections I am making. Am I just a tourist? I know that I sometimes come off as cavalier and "surfacy" (because I've been told as much) which I don't think is bad or wrong in every situation (you simply can't have strong connections with everyone - there isn't the time or energy or need to do so) but I think I need to be aware of that tendency, especially since I don't come home to a family and I also work alone/independently (mostly). I have seen how that creates an "island" that I am on: it doesn't lend itself to personal or spiritual growth, or accountability. "Real" and strong connections are difficult because they take time and work, they stretch you, and are (sometimes) uncomfortable. I don't pursue them. I've been in a season of life that is difficult in understanding how I fit in as my connections and standing with people changes due to marriages, children, time, distance, etc. I don't have an answer for what (if anything) needs to change here, but I don't think having an answer is always the "point" (unfortunately for me, who really loves to have the answer).

So maybe it's not actually a "sitcom lesson", but it made me think. It also led to a lot of parenthetical thoughts and an abundant use of quotation marks, so I apologize for that.