Secret

I have had a secret for over 40 years.  It all started one vacation about 42 years ago.  I got hooked on the TV show Dark Shadows while I was still working.

When I stopped working to await the birth of my son I went back to watching Dark Shadows.  I started turning the TV on a little early to get ready for my show.  It seemed that every day I started earlier and earlier.  Eventually, Dark Shadows was cancelled, but by then I was hooked on the lead-in show, One Life to Live, or as we faithful watchers called it, OLTL.

Every day I sat down to enjoy my show.  At first, my excuse was that I liked looking at the fashions and hair styles.  That worked for a while, but then I started getting involved in the lives of Larry and Melinda, Vicki and Joe, and all the other residents of Llanview, PA.

As time went by the stories and people changed, but Vicki was a constant.  This was a show that while it presented stories on very serious subjects like drug addiction, rape, murder, bigotry, it didn't take itself seriously.  I particularly enjoyed the character of David Vickers played by Tuc Watkins.  Most of the time he was a vain, shallow person, always good for a laugh.  But, occasionally he would say or do something  so right for the situation.

I remember one scene that took place in a cabin at night.  I had taped this particular show and as I watched, something just didn't seem right.  There seemed to be something out of place.  I rewound and played in slow motion several times until  I finally found the problem.  The scene called for a cat to enter the cabin, but apparently, the cat didn't follow its cue and had to be gently dropped into the scene. 

My show has been cancelled and this week they are tying up loose ends giving happy endings when possible.  Today, it is over.  It has been two weeks short of 41 years that I have been a fan.  During this time, I've been privileged to see the early work of such stars as Tommy Lee Jones, Laurence Fishbourne, Tom Berenger, Blair Underwood, Roma Downey, Marcia Cross and my favorites Judith Light, Tuc Watkins and Nathan Fillion.

I thank all the actors and writers of this show.  Thank you Erica Slezak for all these years as Vicki, a lady in the truest sense of the word.  I'll miss you.

I guess I can also thank ABC for cancelling this show and giving an extra hour each day.  Now that I won't be turning on my TV, I'll have time for reading or exercise.  The opportunities are endless.