All Good Things

I watch more TV than I should. I love a good drama, and I'm a sucker for a few other shows. There's one new TV show (new to me, at least) that I really enjoy - Extreme Makeover: Home Edition - although not for any reason related to construction or home design. In many ways, it reminds me of my true favorite show: The West Wing.

Don't get me wrong; as far as I can tell, the original Extreme Makeover is terrible, both in its design and its execution. I suppose it's not a bad thing to make people feel better about themselves, but I don't think society needs anything else encouraging cosmetic surgery. It seems like the core purpose of the show is to help people, but the message of the show is that beauty is skin deep. That's it.

Home Edition seems to be the same purpose, except with the right message. Instead of convincing people they need surgery to be beautiful, the show builds a new home for a family in need. They find families that really need the help: a large family with a parent who recently passed away, a family with a sick child who needs purified air throughout the house to avoid fatal illnesses, and more. It's hard not to smile when you see a deserving family get a little help from the Home Edition crew and the many local builders, contractors, and volunteers who work to build the new home. Each episode renews my faith in humanity. I know it sounds silly, but it's true.

The West Wing has a similar effect on me. The show has definitely been through its brightest days, and many of the former regular viewers have moved on. But I continue to stick with it. I can't say that every episode inspires me, and I can't deny that certain dramatic elements are a bit overdone at times. (It's a drama, after all.) Once in a while, though, an episode will come together in just the right way to remind me of my love for public service. I love politics, yes, but The West Wing has the ability to remind me of more than that. It helps me see the big picture, the way government is supposed to work. I don't mean a certain political ideology or policy goal; I'm talking about the way that democracy should work and the commitment that our elected leaders should have for serving the greater good. It's just a TV show, I realize, but it's the best kind of TV out there. It can be the kind of story that makes me sit back and think about my passion for public service and redouble my commitment to getting there someday. It reminds me of all the good things that I believe this country can be about, and the good that people can achieve.

The West Wing gives me hope.