"hello, lover"

Ahh....sigh....How I miss Carrie Bradshaw.....

Six years ago I was living in Maryland and I was very lonely. I didn't have any friends in my new state and found that I spent most of my time alone. I found I rented many, many movies to keep me company. One Friday night I discovered Sex and the City on DVD. I had heard about the breakout show, but I had not yet had the opportunity to see it for myself. I took a chance, I rented the duo of DVD's and headed home.

It took only an episode. I was in love. It was late that Friday night, and by the time I finished watching every single episode of the season, there was daylight and it was Saturday. I had been transformed into a new woman. I instantly loved high heels, I longed for a trio of girlfriends to share my secrets with and I wondered if I would ever find a man of intrigue just like Mr. Big.

This new obsession started my relationship with cable television. I was raised in a house without cable TV, but I now I had a need to have HBO. The only good thing about the cancellation of SATC was that I no longer needed to have cable. For the next few years, I would subscribe to HBO and those smart little suckers would then introduce other shows for me to love. They were smart enough to piggy-back the shows so I couldn't seem to cancel my cable-there was always a show to watch. Today I am thankful for my Mother's On-Demand cable so I can catch a Soparano's episode at a whim.

During the sixth season of Sex, I had moved to Chicago and I was broke. There were only six more episodes to watch, and my other shows were on hiatus. I couldn't justify signing up for cable (actually my bank account couldn't justify it). Again I was in a new state, without anyone I could meet up with to watch SATC, and I needed to take action to secure my fix. I provided my Father with VHS tapes and 6 self addressed padded envelopes, complete with appropriate postage, so he could send me my beloved program. Because Chicago mail service sucks, it would take three days for my tape to show up. On Wednesday evenings, I would return from work and rush to my mailbox to retrieve my tape. My goodness. I loved those Wednesdays. I think I might have loved my Father even more than I already did for sending those tapes!

I found myself in Michigan the weekend of the final show involved in a less than exciting short term relationship. We had went to the mall on Sunday afternoon, and in our tour of the mall he seemed less than thrilled that I was there. He seemed a little more interested in getting me to his place for a little home cooked dinner and "somethin'-somethin". I was less than thrilled with this idea, but he had HBO and I figured I could take care of business in time for the final 45 minutes of my show. I had to make sacrifices! This was Carrie and Big's big reunion! I heard we would find out Big's first name!

On the ride home, I realized that even with the prospect of seeing the series finale live was not worth spending another milli-second with this ninny. So, once we arrived back at the house, I said I wasn't feeling too swift and I need to start my drive home. It was 6pm and I needed to find a TV with HBO. I began my trip towards Chicago and hatched a plan to see my show. In Battle Creek, I stopped at the Motel 6 and secured one of their luxurious suites. I paid about 40 bucks for this honor. I went out and bought some showtime treats, a bucket of spaghetti (the vegetarian solution to fried chicken) and settled in for the show. The irony had not escaped me that for the price I was spending on this room, I could have paid for cable at home.

I watched the show. I cried. I missed my friends that are scattered across the United States. I loved the ending and was so happy. I felt like I had just hugged my best friends goodbye as they boarded a plane that would never return. I learned so much from the show and tonight when I saw a tiny snippet from the episode on 20/20 where Carrie is shoe shopping for her last "Big night in New York" (the one where she approaches the Christian Louboutin pink pumps and greets them with a "hello, lover") I remembered how much I missed the show. I also realized I miss having reasons to wear incredibly beautiful high heels. I remembered all over again how much I miss my friends being close by. I also realized I haven't met my Mr. Big, but there is plenty of time for that.

In times of trouble, when I am feeling down, or hopeless, or need direction, I consult SATC. I pop in one of the DVD's and it transports me to a place of comfort. At this juncture, I believe I could run the dialogue along with the actors. The familiarity of the show is an old friend that helps to reset any uneasiness I am feeling. I credit the show for allowing me to welcome my 30's with open arms. Those ladies made being in your 30's look like the best decade ever. And, I will eternally grateful for this show, I think it has been one of the most reliable, loving, and fun relationship of my entire life.