The Twilight Zone
If you are at all like most of us, there have been times in your life when you’ve wished you could slow everything down, read more books, take more walks, do whatever.
The Twilight Zone, the original series, was a popular TV show running from 1959 to 1964. I remember the clever and terrible irony that served as the moral to each of the stories. Many of the themes played with time and had a ‘Be careful what you wish for’ lesson attached.
In one episode, a man with a love of books never had enough time to read. That was all he longed for — more time to read. In the end, he was alone on an island with boxes and boxes of books. All the time for reading he could wish for. Except his eyeglasses were irreparably broken.
In another episode, a stressed housewife gained the power to slow time down, or stop it altogether. On her whim, the world and all the people in it would stop, as if in a giant game of freeze tag. And while the world was frozen, she caught up on her chores, her errands and laundry, all that a busy young housewife had to do. Life was grand. Until one day after she had stopped time she noticed a child in the frozen position of riding her tricycle on the street. A truck driver was frozen in the position of pulling out of a garage on to the same street. If the woman returned time to normal it was inevitable the truck was going to crush the little girl. To restore life to its normal pace the woman had to choose to sacrifice the child.
And here we are. I feel privileged to be able to stay safe at home with all kinds of time to read and catch up and do whatever. However, I can’t help but think back on how often I wished for more time, or the ability to slow time down… and all I want now is to be busy, to be running late for a meeting or worried I’ll miss my flight. The irony.
Stay safe everyone.
I don’t think I’ve ever seen that one but how poignant….falls into the “be careful what you wish for” category. C’mon…we all know what will happen. Some day when things return to normal and we’re run off our feet with no time to read that book, we’ll remember back to this vast expanse of time and wonder why we frittered it away. Yes, ironic.
You are going to be proven right I think. Thank you for reminding us.
Oh my. I just read your blog to my husband and discovered that he has had recurring visions of that very episode. Except he never knew where they were coming from (i.e. The Twilight Zone.) Did the girl get sacrificed? He thinks so but isn’t sure. As for me, I’ve never heard of The Twilight Zone, but I sure loved your blog! I hope you are well.
The episode ends with the woman left with the dilemma, so the audience is also left with the tension. That is how I remember it anyway. I have remembered these two episodes and one or two others for decades now. I’m not surprised to hear your husband has had recurring visions. All is well hear, thank you for such an interesting comment.
Oh, Anne, I remember the show so well. I understand what you are saying completely. We both led such vibrant and vital … and busy lives and now all of a sudden (for me anyway) semi-retirement and COVID. I feel my life is still vibrant and vital, but I do miss the hustle and bustle and daily challenge in the work world. Mostly I miss the collaborative team environment and connecting with the community and all of the wonderful people who make up the colourful fabric in London and area.
Me too. All that. Thank you Gab.