Saturday Confession: What I Learned from Dr. Frasier Crane
Ah, the stomach bug. Are there any positives to heaving hours on end? Weight loss, temporary in most cases. And a lot of TV.
I had the bug a couple weeks ago and besides a Friends marathon, I also was up during the wee hours while the rest of the house slept in good health. I realized Frasier was on, so in between my reason for being awake, I watched a couple episodes of this Cheers spin off.
In it, Dr. Frasier Crane was preparing to return to private practice, something he hadn’t done since his Cheers days. He was insecure, enough that even buying a couch for the office was paralyzing him.
And in it, whether a God inspired a-ha moment or fever, a little nugget of wisdom dropped in my heart.
Frasier had to move on from what he knew and was comfortable for him. The Cheers barstool was a safe place. He had friends. But his new life as Frasier beckoned. He had to try new things like a radio show. Living with his dad after many years. Returning to private practice.
Wow. I could relate to that.
Frasier was leaving an old season. It had served him well, but it was time to move forward. It meant leaving people and places. And it was scary.
Wow. I’m living that.
He didn’t see Sam anymore. Sure, they were still friends on paper, but the relationship was gone. At least as the characters knew from the Cheers days.
Wow, that’s my life.
And in the new season came new opportunities, and friendships. Daphne. Roz, Mishaps with his brother, Niles. New memories and experiences for growth.
In that new season, he didn’t begrudge the old days. He was grateful for everything Cheers gave him. But, Frasier was called Frasier for a reason. The Cheers gang was gone.
Frasier succeeded as a show because the writers were able to successfully transition the character to a new setting. So much so, younger people probably didn’t know the good doctor came from an ensemble show before that. He couldn’t be snobby in Seattle if his heart and head were still in Boston.
Wow. There’s a lesson.
My heart is tempted to return to my Boston, a place where I knew who to call and where to go for my opportunities. But it’s 2014 and my Boston is gone. My heart now lives in a Seattle of sorts, a new mindset with new lessons. Different people. I can’t succeed if I keep lamenting my Cheers days.
And neither can you.
Does this make sense? Are you stuck in another season, wishing for the good old days when God has clearly called you away from those times, people, and situations? It doesn’t mean you regret the Cheers days, you’re thankful. But you still move on. Like Frasier.
