THE WONDER YEARS

If there’s one show on Earth that I would live to watch over and over and over again, hands down, it would definitely be The Wonder Years. Although The Wonder Years tells the story of young Kevin Arnold who lives in a suburban neighborhood in 1968, for people my age, The Wonder Years has become the mirror of what its like to live in the 80’s. The show captured the pain and triumphs of youth and each episode of the show would leave a smirk, a smile and an indefinable warmth associated with the wonders of being young.

I guess the magic of the show can be attributed not only to how tight-knit the cast are but more importantly, the brilliance of the message and moments of each episode. The last episode of the show was entitled, “Independence Day” and personally, ‘twas one if not, the most poignant ending I’ve ever seen. The show reminds us of what our life is all about. You see, The Wonder Years is part of my happy memory and I got so connected with the characters that watching the finale is always bitter-sweet. I own a downloaded copy of the series and it is always a “WONDER” to see the show over and over and over.

They don’t make shows like this anymore. The Wonder Years was good old fashion entertainment that dealt with real issues that our youth face. When I look back now, it reminds me that things were a lot simpler then. I guess, we can say that the problems we had then are nothing to the things that kids deal with today. Times change and things change. To borrow the words of the shows finale: “Growing up happens in a heartbeat. One day you’re in diapers, the next day you’re gone. But the memories of childhood stay with you for the long haul. I remember a place, a town, a house like a lot of other houses, a yard like a lot of other yards, on a street like a lot of other streets. And the thing is, after all these years, I still look back, with wonder.”