Lucy or Lucille?
Those of us “of a certain age” have fond memories of the television show I Love Lucy. We laughed at the antics of the fictional families of the Ricardos and Mertzs. We knew that “Ricky” and “Lucy” were Desi and Lucille in real life. Some may have also known that things weren’t quite as amusing “off the set” as they were when they were acting.
I guess that we didn’t care much about that. I suppose that we were mostly interested in what they could do for us as far as entertainment was concerned.
After I Love Lucy ended and after her divorce from Desi Arnez, Lucille Ball attempted somewhat of a comeback with a couple of other shows and projects. None were nearly as successful as I Love Lucy, however.
I suppose that there could be a lot of reasons for that. The “chemistry” that existed among members of the casts of the later shows may not have been as good. Maybe the scripts weren’t as good. The “maybes” could go on and on, I suppose.
I remember reading something years ago that I found interesting. I also found it to be sobering. The author of what I read suggested that an aging Lucille Ball was not as appealing to television audiences as was the younger Lucy whom people remembered.
That comment didn’t mean as much to me when I read it years ago. Now that I am one of those “of a certain age,” it means more.
I’m wondering if “in real life,” we tend to put people on a shelf when they are no longer as productive as they (we) used to be. I wonder if their importance to us decreases as their (our) usefulness to others diminishes. I’m wondering if we tend to desire to live in the past when things were more pleasant than to deal with current realities.
What I’m thinking about has to do with more than the aging process. What if, for whatever reason (illness, injury, change of location, etc.) a person cannot do what he or she once did? What if something like dementia and/or Alzheimer’s has just about totally changed a person into somebody that is barely recognizable? Does that person have any value to me at all?
In short, I guess I’m wondering if a lot of people have a real problem with being selfish. If it is all about me, then your worth is to be determined by what you can do for me.
If, on the other hand, the overriding principle that guides my life includes honoring, loving, and serving God, I will try to find ways to honor, love, and serve others.
And Jesus called them to him and said to them, ‘You know that those who are considered rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them. But it shall not be so among you. But whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you must be slave of all. For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many. (Mark 10:42-45)
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AUTHOR: Jim Faughn
