Reality Shows

I never used to be a fan of reality shows and I still think they aren't the best quality shows out there yet some of them have made it onto my watching list in sneaky ways. 
The first one was Dog Whisperer.  I first saw this show during a marathon of it when V. and I were in Idyllwild in December 2005 when I. was less than 2 months old.  I was nursing her constantly and it was cold outside so we were spending a lot of time indoors and stumbled on this show.  Being a dog lover, I immediately took to it and was hooked.

That led to Meerkat Manor on the Discovery Channel which V. and I laughed at the narrated story line which turned the life of meerkats into almost a tragic soap opera of sorts.   Cat From Hell we stumbled on at home and while we're not hooked, having 2 cats at home make it enjoyable for us to watch it here and there.  Being the hecklers that we are, American Idol and X Factor are both shows we enjoy though we grumble at the weekly time commitment during their seasons.  They are shows that we do enjoy together though.  Another Idyllwild dirty pleasure, this one happening in December 2010 when I was pregnant with D. was Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew.  Truly we reached new lows with this show.  It was entertaining to us though and probably just made us feel more put together than those screwed up "famous" people.  You know, that validation of "we may not be rich nor famous  but at least we're not screwed up".  Pathetic but probably true.  And Millionaire Matchmaker.  I do enjoy this show.  This show I got hooked on the first night with D. in the hospital.  V. had gone home to collapse and there I was with D. next to me in our room and they were having a marathon of Millionaire Matchmaker and I liked it.  To me it's entertaining and also makes me SO glad that I'm not out there single and looking 'cause it's downright scary at least at my age.

Lastly, a confession - I do watch some of the Real Housewives.  Mostly I see that having money, a huge house, and a upscale zip code does not equal happiness.  Usually it equals the direct opposite. 

So while I admit to watching some reality shows, I try to come away with a lesson of sorts.  I may not be glamorous enough or be famous enough and my lifestyle lavish enough for a reality show.  But I am happy, content and blessed and what I do each day is extremely valuable.  I'm shaping 2 little human beings, moment by moment, day by day to hopefully become responsible, kind, ethical adults while at the same time supporting V. and giving him a soft place to land after his 15 hours days.  Most importantly, I am the glue holding the family together.  I am the canary in our coal mine when something feels amiss.  Not taking away from V., but his primary focus has to be on being our provider which he does very well.  In my opinion, SOMEBODY'S focus has to be on the family, keeping a finger on the pulse of it, and raising the alert flag when things aren't right.  It's not always the most popular role to have nor the easiest but for the sanctity of our family, it's one of the most important ones.