Doctor Who?

Nobody gets it. Well, nobody except my daughter, my mom and a tiny handful of special people. Nobody else gets the magic that is Doctor Who.

Why? I don't know, it's such an amazing television show. A BBC original that started way back in the late 60s, had an incredibly long run - over 20 seasons - and was very popular in Britain. I'm sure it was mainly a kids show but my mom and I watched it faithfully every Saturday night on PBS, usually right after Benny Hill and right before Monty Python's Flying Circus, neither of which my mom let us watch.

Now, BBC has completely revamped Doctor Who and is taping the 4th season. I have carried on the tradition with my daughter, Vienna. She and I just finished watching the 3rd season and were distraught that the season was over.

It is definitely a campy sci-fi with lots of special effects and unbelievable aliens and plotlines. But, it's not about any of that - it's all about the Doctor. He is one of the most complicated characters that I have ever encountered in a TV show. The depth of his personality rivals that of any human I know. The last episode of this season illustrated that to me.

The Doctor is the last of his kind - alone in time and space - and lives much longer than humans so his existence is based on escaping his lonliness. He constantly finds companions to travel with him, who inevitably fall in love with him (usually a platonic love that transcends any affection we are used to) and then eventually has to leave them so as not to be devastated by losing them to decay and death.

In this last episode, he found one of his own - a time lord named the Master who had once been the Doctor's friend but has much longer been his enemy. The Master had become insane and intent on destroying the earth. After torturing the Doctor, keeping him hostage for a year and killing many people, the Doctor had only one thing to say to the Master. "I forgive you". This was defeat to the Master.

And, finally when the Master was shot and faced death, the Doctor told him to regenerate - a trait that time lords have that gives them their longevity. The Doctor was willing to take the Master with him to care for him and be responsible for him. The Master refused realizing that dying was how he could hurt the Doctor the most. When he died, the Doctor just held him weeping for his lost, insane companion.

How many TV heroes have this many facets to their personality? And I haven't even touched on his relationships with his travelling companions and the enemies he defeats on a regular basis. Or his childlike excitement when faced with danger. Or his incredible brilliance or his arrogance, both of which are irresistible. All of these things along with his incredible love for those around him make him, in my opinion, the best, most interesting character in all time and space.

Mr. Smith goes to Washington

My husband, Andy (of Woodland Shopper's Paradise) has been on me to start my own blog for a while. But, until now, I haven't really found anything inspiring enough to write about. Today I saw "Mr. Smith Goes to Washington" for the first time. I don't know why I have never seen this movie before but I found it and its main character, Jefferson Smith, to be just about the most inspiring thing I have seen for a long time. Well, at least since my experience with the Seagate Eco Challenge in February.

As many of you already know, Mr. Smith is a small town boys' ranch leader who suddenly gets swept off to D.C. as a state senator. Green and deeply patriotic, his first day in the capital city was awe inspiring for him and, like a child at his first day at Disney World, Smith was entranced by the history, the words etched in stone and the figures of great men who shaped our country into the precious nation of freedom that it is. Watching Smith, I remembered the feelings I've had in our nation's capital and wished that everyone could be as hopeful, innocent and even naive as he was.

Jefferson Smith soon gets engulfed in the nasty politics of greedy men and tries his best to stay optimistic. He believes in our country and in the process of getting things done for the people so he goes to work to make things better. When he is finally overwhelmed by those trying to destroy him, he almost gives up. But, just then, a recently jaded but now hopeful colleague convinces him to keep going - knowing that he's the only one who can defeat the evil influences destroying the promise of America.

With her help, he returns to fight his battle, stronger than ever - and fight he does. He never gives up. I won't spoil the end for you but suffice it to say, he is truly inspirational.



There are few characters or even real people that embody the ideals that I believe make a person great and to which I aspire. Jefferson Smith is one of those - truly optimistic, courageous and idealistic against all odds. Idealists have been derided as silly, naive and not realistic. They are told that things won't change so don't bother. But, Mr. Smith proves that there are things worth fighting for, even if it is a lost cause - in fact, they are the things most worth fighting for according to him.

Most importantly, Mr. Smith embodies integrity. He knows exactly what he believes and lives by that which he believes. Integrity, to me is one of the most important qualifications to being a good human being and watching Mr. Smith shows me a great modern day example of that.

I am one of those who has always known that the world and its people can be better - much better. We have the capacity and we should be fighting for that no matter what the odds. I have met many who think I am too much of a Pollyanna and I have always been happy with that label. Yes, I'm a Pollyanna. Yes, I believe that the world can and should be better and we as members of the human race have the ultimate responsibility for making it better. And, yes I believe that no matter how lost a cause looks, if it's the right thing to do, it's worth fighting for. Most importantly, I try to have integrity. I try to know and act upon what I truly believe.

Mr. Smith, thank you for reminding me and inspiring me again to fight for the little guy, the lost cause - for what I believe. I won't forget.