Lessons from an Eccentric TV Doctor

One of my favorite TV characters is Gregory House.. that doctor genius played impeccably by Hugh Laurie. This season ended last night with another great installment.. the whole season has been about House's efforts to stay clean from a prescription drug addiction.. the season opener was a compelling story about a man in pain getting free from the grip of drugs. These past few weeks have been replete with observations about this past season of getting free.. here are a few of House's recent observations:
  • "I followed all of the rules and I am not happy." - House tells his counselor that he is done with their meetings.. after months of therapy he feels no better than he did when they began. Man, can I ever relate to this one.  It reminds me that life is not about following rules and sometimes getting healthy involves some tough living. I think that happiness is seldom found when it is the object of our search.
  • "I did everything right and she still died." - House is devastated.. he cared.. he used all of his medical genius to save an innocent victim.. and she died. Again, I can so relate. Reminded me of how I prayed for my first wife for years hoping and believing that she would be healed.. but she died. Life is not a formula.. religious or otherwise.. life is something that confounds the rules.. bad stuff happens even when we do everything right.. even when we believe and pray.
In the end Doctor House is faced with a tough decision.. he is in physical pain.. he has stayed free of that nasty Vicodin all year.. he is hurting.. he feels stuck.. he is ready to chuck it all and go back to a life of addiction.. and out of nowhere love wins the day - something else that I can personally relate to.

5 comments:

  1. Since I "determined" from previews and articles that House was to far-fetched to be remotely possible, I have never seen an episode.

    My favorite "soap-opera" that has me absolutely hooked in Burn Notice.

    ReplyDelete
  2. @Gregg - I put House in the same genre as Columbo, Monk, and other shows that focus on eccentrics who are the best at what they do. It is a bit over the top but the stories and characters are, IMO, very well written.

    A few friends really like Burn Notice.. maybe I will catch it in reruns or on DVD?

    ReplyDelete
  3. "Life is not a formula.. religious or otherwise.. life is something that confounds the rules.. bad stuff happens even when we do everything right.. even when we believe and pray."

    Wise words! They made this blog very much worth reading today.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Thanks Joe! Wish those wise words came with a bit less pain :)

    ReplyDelete
  5. And I quote you: "I think that happiness is seldom found when it is the object of our search." So true.

    ReplyDelete

I love to get comments and usually respond. So come back to see my reply. You can click here to see my comment policy.