Joshua Radin on the Bachelorette – Sigh

Probably my most embarrassing admission in life is that I watch the Bachelor and the Bachelorette.  I don’t even know how it started . . . one day, the show became a part of my life, providing two hours each week of opportunities for my husband and me to mercilessly mock people we don’t know and to yell at a girl or guy we’ve never met about the dumb choices s/he’s making.  It’s amazing stress relief.

My bad bachelorette habit was all worth it last night when Joshua Radin made a guest appearance on the show to serenade the bachelorette and her beau-of-the-night.  Apparently, Joshua Radin was the beau’s birthday present.  All I can say is, I hate them – I’m so green with envy, I’m probably being mistaken for a Celtics fan.  Joshua Radin (I’ll just call him JR – we’re that tight) is my favorite singer/songwriter.  For those of you who have never heard of him, I give you full permission to turn away from this blog post now and immediately visit his website ( http://us.joshuaradin.com/) or look him up on itunes.  Your ears will never be the same. 

What is it that I love so much?  The guy sings with so much emotion, you can feel it not merely hear it.  His lyrics are meaningful and unique.  And, I just dig his style – he can sing in a whisper and then belt out into a yell – it’s great.  His CDs are some of the few that I can listen to completely and like every song – isn’t that the best?  My favorite songs, you ask?  Tough choice!  But, I am gonna have to say 1. Everything’ll Be Alright, 2. You’ve Got Growin Up to Do, 3. We Are Okay, and 4. Paperweight (a duet with Schuyler Fisk, daughter of Sissy Spacek). 

So, last night, as I watched Ms. Bachelorette canoodling with her birthday beau to JR on a NYC rooftop, I began whining to my husband as to why I didn’t receive a JR serenade for my birthday (all I got was a spa day and a tropical wedding – boooo).  He said he’ll work on it, so I have no doubt that next year JR will be on my rooftop . . . or more likely there will be an ipod hooked up to speakers blasting JR, which will be wonderful too.

Dinner, Wine, Candles . . . and HBO?

I am not a big television watcher.  I don’t follow many television series or rush home to catch a certain show (although a little part of me died during the Gilmore Girls season finale).  I have a few guilty pleasures, one involving rich teenagers in Manhattan who act like they’re thirty and one involving desperate, overtanned, over-made-up women throwing themselves at a guy who they believe they will marry after three weeks.  But, if I missed an episode, I wouldn’t really care.

So, I began to wonder why the television is always on in my home.  Most of the time, I’m not even watching it; I’m working on my laptop, talking on the phone, whispering sweet nothings in my cat’s ear or – okay that’s about all I do because my life is boring, hence my quest to do new things. 

Recently, I’ve been annoyed that the television is on while my husband and I spend time together at night and eat dinner.  Instead of talking with each other, we stare at the television and make occasional comments about the programming, while shoving food in our mouths.  Once we finish eating, we each open our laptops and become lost in the Internet.

I remember when I was young, my parents would sit in the living room every night, put on a favorite album, and just talk.  I don’t think a night went by that didn’t include this little ritual (which was perfect for me and my sister because we were able to sneak in the forbidden MTV in the television room without their knowing). 

This past week, my husband and I decided to adopt my parents’ ritual.  We switched off the television, put away the laptops, turned on the Pandora (okay so one laptop stayed out but only to play the music), and ate dinner together at the table, talking between chewing.  Once dinner was over, we kept the television off and continued to talk, the mellow music of Joshua Radin in the background.  We talked about travel, about different cities, and about our friends and families; we just talked.  One night, we broke out one laptop, which we used together to explore the Internet.  We spent time together without characters, reporters, and comedians.

My husband and I are going to continue this ritual a few times a week.  Some nights, I’m sure we’ll watch television with dinner and after dinner.  Some nights, we won’t be able to eat together.  And some nights, the television itself will be the bonding experience (who doesn’t love sharing Monday night football and pizza).  But, I think my favorite nights will be those spent one-on-one with each other (with a guest appearance by Pandora).

Sometimes, a shared moment, a shared conversation, and a shared meal that is actually shared are simple pleasures too easily forgotten.  Try it.