More blasts from the past

One of the things I continue to enjoy about my membership at Netflix is the opportunity to revisit old favorites from the past, whether they be movies or television shows. I've gotten the chance to watch again past favs like Bonnie and Clyde, Captains and the Kings - even Gidget!

This weekend, I opened my mailbox to find a blast from the past. Having no baseball to watch this afternoon, I cracked open the first disc of the first season of Northern Exposure. Debuting in 1990, I hadn't reflected on it in years, and when I did, it was to remember the semi-train wreck it became towards the end. So, I'd forgotten how refreshing and fun that series was. I only made it thru the first two episodes. But wow! Incredible characters, quirky story lines, fine acting...

Maurice, the former astronaut. Holling and his teenage sweetie. Maggie the Amelia Earhart-wanna be. Ed, the crazed film fanatic. Chris in the morning. Marilyn the receptionist. And Joel, the epitome of the fish out of water.

In case you can't tell from the title of this blog, I totally relate to Joel. The "outlander" dropped into a very alien environment, populated by people out of a weird novel. When I first move here, I remember my nephews asking me if it was like the "Dukes of Hazard." Yeah, actually, it was. But, like Joel, I was eventually won over by the locals, by the local culture, by the whole atmosphere. Like Joel, I learned that if you want to survive in such a place, you must discard your preconceived notions and just embrace your new environment. Joel found peace and happiness.

And so have I.