F is for Friends

My roommate Bianca and I are currently on a "watch all the Friends" episodes kick. Bianca has never watched all the episodes, and I sometimes enjoy a good break from real life...except now, Friends is eerily similar to my real life.

When I watched Friends back in the day, it was a funny, easy show to watch. It's still a funny and easy show to watch, but it's weird how the meaning of shows change when you are in the same life stage as the characters. My real life is becoming more and more like Friends. For example:

#1 - The characters are constantly moving apartments & swapping roommates. First Phoebe lived with Monica, then Monica lived with Rachel, then Chandler moves in...this is the story of my friends as well. My friends and I are also constantly moving and roommates are always reshuffling. First I lived with Lindsay, then I lived with Kelly while Lindsay moved in with David...I mean, I've lived in three apartments in four years. Madness!

#2 - Friends get married and reshuffle the friend group. There are scores of relationships during the show that redefine the friend group over and over again. Ditto my life. As people move on and get married, the group dynamics change.

#3 - Getting coffee with friends is a major weekly event. The Friends cast seems to live in Central Perk. While I don't live in a coffee shop, I often go to one to grade papers and meet up with friends. Some of the most lovely friend conversations have happened in coffee shops.

Ze Coffee Haus!

Of course, there are many other similarities (and some major differences) as well. As I have entered the same life-stage as the characters of Friends, my appreciation of the show has grown. This seems to be the magic of entertainment - to create characters that are easy to relate to and identify with. So, I will keep watching Friends, both on TV and in my real life.