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I am a world class dork when it comes to the X-Files – that TV show (which ran from 1992 to 2001) is one of my ultimate guilty pleasures.
Yet in between scary episodes about chasing aliens, trying to piece together government conspiracies, and an unnatural and eternal love for David Duchovny as Fox Mulder, I learned something more than how much I wish I was Dana Scully (“I’m a scientist!)…I learned a few good life lessons.
This morning as I was munching on my toast and watching the news, I felt a sudden urge to put something silly out into the world. Things are starting to get a little heavy out there. So in an effort to put a smile on your face – whether it is because you share my love for the greatest show ever made, or whether it is because you think I’m a total loser – I want to share with you the life lessons I learned from the X-Files.
Here goes…
1. Always Be Yourself – one of the reasons Fox Mulder was such a rebel is because he dared to believe in aliens and search for his sister when everyone called him “spooky” and thought he was a loser. That character was always himself, in spite of what others thought of him (including his superiors, family, and partner)…and that was very courageous and cool.
2. Everyone Has the Ability to Kick-Ass – Tiny little Dana Scully (played by Gillian Anderson) looked prim and proper but could be fierce with her government issued weapon, or in a tight situation just her unexplained karate skills. One thing the show proved time and again was that size, appearance, and age has nothing to do with your ability to kick some butt. The only thing that matters is having a little bit of fight in you!
3. Make Time for Little Jokes – One thing the show was never short on was ironic, sarcastic, or inappropriate jokes about aliens, dead bodies, big foot, or any other paranormal phenomenon Mulder and Scully came across. Goes to show that if they can make time to quip about almost being eaten by the Loch Ness monster that we can all see the humor in our own lives.
4. Dare to Take Risks – Whether it was jumping off of unmarked helicopters, facing down sociopathic telepaths, or just disobeying direct orders (again), the protagonists in the X-Files were never adverse to taking risks. More often than not, those risks – which could get them fired, imprisoned, or killed – lead to important information or got them closer to the “truth.” Moral of the story: risks are scary, but worth it.
5. Never Stop Searching For the Truth – In spite of the fact that their reputations were ruined, they lost family members, and their jobs were their 24/7 lives, Mulder and Scully never gave up searching for the truth. Sure, the truth they were looking for had to do with discovering the government’s active cover-up of alien life on this planet, but the lesson can be applied to each one of us in our search for our own personal truths…right?
Well, now that I’ve shown my true dorky colors, I am going to get back to work…or back to watching season 3…
The truth is out there, my Uncommon friends!
Here’s to your Uncommon Life,
{ 3 comments… read them below or add one }
What an awesome post! I, too, am a fan of X-Files…get a little thrill when I see SyFy Channel run a marathon
Your broke out some life lessons splendidly…especially #1 – Always Be Yourself. My life has been a journey about becoming me – something I didn’t realize when I was younger. Even during the X-Files run I was ‘trying to find myself’ instead of ‘trying to develop the best me possible’. *sigh* such is a young person’s handicap. Thanks for a great post about one of my favorite shows! Oh, by the way, what do you think of Fringe?
Hi Charlene! Thanks so much for your response! I’ve actually never seen Fringe – is it worth it? You make a beautiful point about finding yourself versus developing yourself, I’ve never thought of it in those terms, but truly understand what you mean. How can we “find” ourselves – we are never really lost, we are just undeveloped. Fabulous point!
Hi Nacie – Fringe is fabulous! But, you must watch it from the beginning in order to understand what’s happening to the characters. It’s X-Files without the aliens – instead, it has the parallel universe. Very intriguing ideas posited during a few episodes, with interesting characters and fascinating plot lines. If you have a chance to see the whole 1st season, either on DVD or hulu.com I recommend it – but you must see it in sequence or it won’t make sense.