Pick A Star On The Dark Horizon, And Follow The Light, You'll Come Back, When It's Over, No Need To Say Good Bye

--"The Call", Regina Spektor

While I was watching Michael Scott's final episode on The Office I was reminded of another show having to carry on without its supposed star. Back in 1994 Avonlea aired an episode that was unlike any episode that had come before it. The reason? It failed to feature Sara Stanley, the ostensible main character of the show, at all in any scene of the episode. Back when the show started in 1989 almost every episode was built around her. If she wasn't in the "A" storyline, she at least made the "B" storyline. Back then it was inconceivable to think that she wouldn't even rate a cameo in any episode to come in the show. She felt that integral to the whole fabric of the reality of the show.

After that episode in 1994 it became more prevalent that Sara Stanley wouldn't be seen in stretches of episodes. More and more, it came to feel like the show had less of a central store and more an ensemble of characters who would take center stage in turns. Granted, some shows can function very well in this capacity. However, Avonlea, was always best when it had Sara as its bedrock. Without her, the entire reality felt fractured. It was hard to see where Felicity's travails connected with that of the Lesters, or how Hetty's journey of self-discovery jibed with that of her brother Alec's more mundane trials. Like the books, The Story Girl was the audience's surrogate. It made sense she could see all the stories of the other characters because she was the town's Pollyanna; she ingratiated herself into everyone's company. Thus, it made sense that she'd be present in so many different environments, that she would get into so many scrapes, that she could have these many stories to tell about her, because that was who she was. She literally was the one who the stories were built around and for.

Now some may say that there isn't a show on the air that entirely needs a main star to be successful. There are dozens of cases where shows have carried on with the loss of their main "star". Valerie became The Hogan Family. Diane Chambers left Cheers, Richie left Happy Days, and even 8 Simple Rules carried on when John Ritter died. I'm not saying there aren't instances where losing the major star cannot be overcome.

But sometimes a journey is laid out that calls out for a leader. It isn't so much that this lead figure is anywhere better than the rest of the party. It isn't so much that this lead figure deserves the spotlight any more than the rest. It's just sometimes the journey requires somebody come to the forefront, somebody to take on the responsibility of doing the majority of the heavy lifting. That's what Michael Scott was. That's what Sara Stanley was. Both shows aren't the same after the loss of the person who bore the brunt of the load.

It's just like this website. I know for a fact that my story isn't any more important than yours. I don't write a blog because I feel my life is any more interesting, exciting, or unique than anybody who reads this. Yet, like it or not, this blog simply would cease to function as an entity if I were to leave it. True, Breanne and Toby could carry on for awhile, but the truth is this place has always been more of my home away from home than it has been for them. If I die, if I leave, or if I'm otherwise prevented from writing here I know there would be no recovery. That's why these last few weeks of me fretting about the condo have been stressful. It's taken up the time I normally devote to planning what I write here. Lately, it's felt like I've neglected this site moreso than I have in the past.

And I can't do that to this place. I'm not ready to leave the spotlight just yet. I'm not ready to move on to whatever I'm destined to do next. I'm not about to unravel everything here just yet.

Yours Swimmingly,
mojo shivers