Survivor

I remember 21 years ago when my friend, Betsy, told me to watch Survivor during its first season. The first episode I watched, they ate bugs, and I was out. I think I turned it off mid-bugging. The next day, she asked how I liked and I said, “NOT!” She promised they wouldn’t eat bugs again (how did she know? It was the first season – completely uncharted territory). I believed her and tuned in the next week, and haven’t missed an episode since. I couldn’t get over the cleverness of the premise – make friends, work hard, then vote each other out – THEN ask the people that you voted out to give you the prize. Brilliant. The jungle is gorgeous. Jeff Probst is my friend. The people who think up the challenges are people I want to know.

When we moved to our split-level house before Alexander was even born, we decided that food would ONLY be consumed on the kitchen/dining room level. We never broke that rule. It was so steadfast that I am completely sure both kids believed food would just disappear if they tried to take it up or down the stairs. Neither Keith nor I ever even snacked when the kids were asleep. Until Survivor. Thursday night became pizza in front of the basement TV night. On the final night of Survivor: Africa we had themed food – little gazelles with cheese bodies and pretzel legs, a zebra striped cheesecake, and….other things I can’t remember. Survivor was the first TV show we watched – and ate – together as a family.

I worked at the Y at that time, and I remember being in the lobby with a group of adults. Alexander came running by (he was always running back then) and I slowed him down. I have ABSOLUTELY no idea what I expected him to answer when I asked this question, but it went with what the adults were talking about, and he was going to make my point beautifully. Or so I thought. I asked, “Alexander, what is the most important thing?” Without hesitation, he gleefully answered, “Don’t talk during Survivor!!!” It made me laugh then, it makes me laugh now. It was not what I was expecting – at all.

The kids drifted away from watching (for a long while they still came for the challenges, but they didn’t want to hear all that talking) as they grew up, but Keith and I have not waivered. I’ve had only a few episodes that I threatened not to watch next week and only one Survivor winner that I DID NOT THINK SHOULD HAVE WON. It was a woman and I do not remember her name BECAUSE I HAVE BLOCKED IT OUT.

Tonight is the season 42 finale – I am writing this while we are waiting for it to get ahead of us because we are watching it WHILE IT IS ON (did you forget that that was even possible?) and we are giving it a bit of time so we can zoom through the commercials. I think my newest Survivor buddy, Jonathan, doesn’t have a chance of winning, but that’s okay. I’m glad he stuck around every week so I could enjoy watching him be really strong. And him calling Jeff “Mr. Jeff”.

The picture of today is of our fabulous front yard tree. The lights have been broken and Keith just fixed them. We don’t have anything resembling a jungle to tie-in to Survivor (well, it is rainforest-y with all of the rain we’ve had, but the 45° isn’t quite right), so I just went with the best nature I’ve got right now.