Back in the 80s nerd culture was just beginning to coalesce. I had no clue what a nerd was or that I was one. I just did what I did and assumed it was natural. Part of that nerd behavior was watching old 50’s and 60’s sci-fi TV shows obsessively. I could and maybe I will at some time in the future write obsessively about other shows but I have to give a special nod to one TV show in particular, Rod Serling’s Twilight Zone.
Serling was an odd character. Although physically small (he was only 5 foot 4 inches tall), he aggressively pursued athletics and later went into the paratroopers during World War 2. Dismissed as lazy in his studies by his teachers he came out of the war and graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Literature at Antioch College. Repeatedly turned down by his future wife for being a playboy, he continued to court her until she agreed to marry him. Basically a guy that went out and did those things that people said he couldn’t do.
He brought this same type of restless energy into his radio career and then into the new medium of television. He pushed and pushed until he got the pilot show approved for the Twilight Zone.
Twilight Zone itself was a show that dealt mainly with modern polemics and age-old questions more than most shows of the era and indeed more than most shows nowadays. The idea that the show dealt with silly or spurious topics is false. Racism, classism, the “rat race”, death, redemption. All of these would be recurring themes in the show. Serling would usually begin the show with a short introduction to the topic and would also add some closing thoughts at the end of the show. The viewer would be drawn in and encouraged to think about the topic rather than to sit back and be amused by some mindless entertainment.
Every once in a while I will stumble across one of these episodes and sometimes I can draw some parallels to what’s going on in my life at the moment and yet again I think to myself what a brilliant man Serling was.
Three episodes resonate with me at the moment and I have to admit they have resonated with me in the past as well.
Walking Distance
A busy executive from New York City stops by a gas station in the middle of nowhere. While he has the oil changed in his car he notices that the town that he grew up in is nearby and decides to visit it. He finds that he has somehow gone back in time and sees himself as a child. He desperately wants to stay in the past but his father confronts him and tells him that he can’t and that maybe life wasn’t so bad after all.
Nervous man in a four dollar room
Jacky, a failed gangster, sits in a cheap hotel room trying to make a decision as to whether to murder an innocent storekeeper, as ordered by his gang boss, or quit his life of crime and reform.
As he thinks, the reflection in the room mirror talks to him. The reflection reminds him of all his past failures and stresses Jacky’s inherent character flaws and weaknesses.
As the conversation progresses Jacky becomes increasingly anxious and frustrated. The reflection finally challenges Jacky and tells him that he wants to take over. The two struggle for control.
The gang boss arrives in the morning to see why Jacky hasn’t carried out the murder. Jacky beats up the boss and throws him out telling him that he’s through with crime and also noting that his new name is now John.
The Changing of the guard
An elderly professor learns that he will soon be forced to retire. Looking back on his career he believes that his time has been wasted and that he has not made any impact. He considers committing suicide. As he does, the phantoms of some of his past students emerge. They relate what they did in life and how he was the inspiration for their lives. In the end the professor realizes that he did make a difference in people’s lives and decides to accept his retirement.
These are some of my favorite episodes. I find myself turning back to these over and over again when life gets tough, when things aren’t going my way, or when I find myself at a loss as to what direction to take. The past should stay in the past, a life can be redeemed, and we are the sum of our experiences, all of them.
Lessons aren’t confined to books. Wisdom may be found in the oddest of places and we should never discount knowledge no matter where it comes. Even if that places happens to be in The Twilight Zone.
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