Life is a TV show

A while back I wrote (and any time I say, “I wrote,” in this, I really mean I thought of) a basic storyline for a television show about my life. Although it was fantastic and over the top (I mean I marry Emma Watson, so come on (like not just a character played by Emma, but her after she joins the church)), the interesting thing was that it forced myself to accept my past and figure out my future. But you know, good television shows have themes and characters and stories that don’t just drop out forever.

I have had some fairly poor experiences with girls that were my fault. I really botched them. There was one in particular that had me hung up for quite some time. And even though I was hung up on her while I wrote it, I don’t end up with that girl in the show. I don’t know why I wrote it like that, but I am glad I did. You see, I wrote a story that literally showed me how much good could be obtained even if I didn’t get the main love interest from the first season. For the first time since I had gotten hung up on her, I saw a really great life that didn’t involve her in the capacity of a love interest. And suddenly when I was seeing a sneak peek of season 7, I knew that I could get through season 4 and all the crap I had to deal with. It’s also a plus that I get to choose my own soundtrack.

That was probably the part I loved most about writing this was some of the small details. Like how the love letters I wrote to a previous love interest were the way that my future wife fell in love with me. And the music. I now have a playlist on my phone called, “Soundtrack of My Life.” If I were to put a soundtrack to scenes in my life, those are the songs I would choose. Here are a few examples (warning, if I ever do make this TV show, you are about to get some major spoilers):

•When I finally *finally* end things with the love interest of seasons 1-4, Someday You Will Be Loved by Death Cab for Cutie will be playing as I walk away from her apartment in realization that we will never be more than friends and that I am okay with that.

•The Luckiest by Ben Folds will be the song that plays for my first kiss with the final love interest, my wife.

•All Shook Up by Elvis will play as I go on the first date with 1-4 love interest.

•Be Still My Heart by The Postal Service would play on the scene of the day after my first kiss.

•As my parents and I drove away from the MTC after dropping off my brother, Brock, Blue Ridge Mountains by Fleet Foxes would be playing over a slight montage.

•The Great Salt Lake by Band of Horses would be a reoccurring song for big moments that had to do with my favorite metropolis. It would be playing as I looked down on the valley as I came home from my mission and the day after I finally moved to SLC and the day that I leave it never to return (I doubt that would actually happen, but if it did that would be the song).

•I Won’t Give Up by Jason Mraz would be the theme song for season 1-4 love interest (obviously because that is a good chunk of time of a protagonist not giving up). It would have a slight reprise at her wedding when I am making a video and she just married one of my good mission buddies.

•I’m So Sorry by Imagine Dragons would play in that one episode where I just get ticked. 

•The News From Your Bed by Bishop Allen would play over a month long montage of me after a big breakup.

And I love this episode setup. Because that's the point of a TV show. You learn a general plot over weeks and months. The protagonist doesn't get the girl in the first episode. The characters aren't grown by the end of the first season. And an episode without a major problem would be quite pointless.

So in writing out my life as a television show, I learned that even though the song currently playing in the episode is sad, the episode will end. And because there are the sad moments, you learn to love the character more. Your understanding of the protagonist grows and you hope even more for his success.

I learned that happy moments are meant to be dispersed throughout the season, not clumped together as much as possible. In fact, the major song moments in life very rarely happen more than every once in a while. We need to realize that although a TV show creates good advertising through those moments, no one world wouldn't care if the characters hadn't stolen their heart throughout the season. Sadness is fruitful ground in which love grows.