12.07.05A few Houses ago…
So, I’m a fan of the Fox show House (this week they didn’t actually show it this week due to some music awards…grr)
Due to a Tivo conflict, the episode from two weeks ago didn’t record (Firefly recorded instead, which is okay, cuz Firefly is great).
So, last Sunday, my friend Lizzy brought over her tape of the episode I missed. She, Bryan and I watched it. She taped it off of her Tivo, so Bryan and I got a good, hearty laugh at the sounds that Tivo makes (they aren’t turned on mine and that’s the way, uh huh, uh huh, I like it). Lizzy, of course, got all defensive and pokey due to this, but that’s one of those things that friendship has to weather from time to time, right?
The episode was a good one to be sure. The patient of the week was a flamboyantly gay man with HIV and a mystery disease that was killing him. During the episode the patient coughed blood onto Dr. Cameron. She got blood in her eye (here’s blood in your eye!) and mouth, which I’m pretty sure you don’t want to do with HIV blood (and possibly other bloods, but that’s more of a personal taste issue in my opinion:) )
The patient later apologized for possibly killing his doctor, but he confessed that getting HIV was the “best thing that ever happened” to him. He said that before realizing his own mortality, he was all concerned about living life to please other people, but now he could do all of the things that brought him happiness and pleasure. He encouraged Dr. Cameron to do the same and have some fun.
She took his advice. She also did something she seemed to regret.
What struck me was that someone would just take the advice of a pretty random stranger and make an impacting life decision based on that.
Why is it that strangers seem to be so much more authoritative than those we’re close to? Or is it that we just don’t share our deep concerns with those closest to us? Why is it that this episode of House didn’t seem so ridiculous? That’s what I want to know.
Danielle says,
I hestitate of questioning you on the issue of ‘deep concerns’ until at/after dinner tomorrow when we can be more direct, but…
Do you really think that strangers (rather than close friends) play a greater part in our decision-making?
on December 7, 2005 at 3:38 pm
Josh says,
No, what I meant was that it seems that a stranger can often cut to the quick and I’ve seen people who listen more readily to those outside of a given situation.
It’s a pretty common occurrence, actually, how readily do we accept the authority of someone just cuz they’re in Newsweek or on TV?
on December 7, 2005 at 4:25 pm
Danielle says,
Mmmmkay. Thanks for the clarification.
on December 7, 2005 at 5:48 pm
Lizzy says,
Do you think it was an impacting life decision? Or just a stupid mistake?
on December 8, 2005 at 9:47 am