“What Are You Thinking About”

May is always a bittersweet month for me… it is the season of television show finales and I have a love|hate relationship with it. Always have. I love the effort and depth producers put into their shows during this time of year, but I loathe the reality that all shows eventually come to an end.

“The West Wing” is one of those shows. It has been both critical and formative to my live these last years. Political affliation aside, it has been a great show. I believe that it raised the bar for acting, directing, cinematics, and writing. Aaron Sorkin did phenominal things with this series.

Pardon me if I wax reminiscent, but it cannot be helped. Over 7 years I’ve followed the lives of these characters–on and off the screen–and the their story has become inexorably entwined with my own. I can remember sitting, alone, in a less-than-lavish apartment in Dallas watching The West Wing. Then, airing on Wednesday nights, I would hurry home to watch it after visiting a local church. I was in Seminary back then and had no peer group or church family.

Later Geoff joined me in Texas and we began watching it together, on a 13-inch TV with rabbit ears from a futon which doubled as his bed and closet. Those were good days.

Eventually Sam, another friend and roommate, came along and joined in my love affair for the show. He and a co-worker Micah formed a bit of a nucleus with us concerning the show. As you might imagine, being a bit left-leaning, The West Wing was never overly popular in my Baptist church circles.

Their loss.

After a move to Alabama the girl–who would eventually become my wife–took an interest in the West Wing. I think that it might have initially been an excuse to spend more time with me… but who can blame her taste? …on either account! We began watching new episodes together as well as working our way through the initial seasons on DVD.

Eventually, John Spencer passed away and another friend (Kathleen) joined our weekly watching of the show.

…

Tonight was a hard night as The West Wing aired its final original episode… ever. Much like the characters on the show, the cast and crew have moved on to other things. So will I. So will the others.

And as I sit here in the silence of a calm Southern evening, I realize that I am not-so-much sad and sentimental over the end of a show I’ve loved–a show that’s really documented many successes and trails and trials over the last seven years.

I’ve instead realized that I miss the community that traveled those times with me. I miss laughing at Claudia Jean with Geoff… I miss rushing home from church with Sam to catch an episode that we knew would keep us on the edge of our seats… I miss arguing episodes and politics with Micah… and I am sure going to miss sitting with my wife and being amazed at Bartlett’s wisdom and wit, wishing we could have him as our President someday.

So tonight, as the episode asked in its final moments, I ask myself “What are you thinking about?”

And I think Jed’s response is appropriate… “Tomorrow.”

… I’m thinking about a tomorrow without The West Wing.

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