A young relative of mine is involved in a relationship that has been making her feel like a dramatic vehicle in a bad TV series. Every talk we've had about it has involved a long series of "he-said, she-said" revelations and rarely, if ever, have her conversations involved direct, open communication with the significant other.

She was deeply unhappy and felt powerless to do anything about the chaos, the secrets, the whisperings, or the plot twists and nefarious friends. She talked about her life as if it were a script being written by a committee of ravenous producers.

As a psychotherapist and a teacher of Verbal First Aid, it got me to thinking:

What has TV done to relationships? What have we learned by surrounding ourselves with shows such as "Raymond," "Two and a Half Men," "CSI," "Survivor," and "Trauma?" If it is true that art reflects life, it must be equally as true that life reflects art. We are what we surround ourselves with and perhaps it surrounds us in the way it does because it is in fact a projection of our truest selves.

If so, what surrounds us? What is the nature of relationships in mass media? What are we listening to as the TV runs on and on in the background and we're preparing dinner or doing housework or making the beds? How differently are relationships portrayed now compared to, say, 40 years ago?

For the full piece, please go to:

http://www.opednews.com/articles/Life-As-A-Reality-Show-by-Judith-Acosta-100629-971.html

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