If you could see ten years into the future, what would you want to see?
Normally, I don’t think life in 2030 would be a pressing topic, but as I watch Gilmore Girls: A Year In The Life, I can’t help but think of the future. Most people enjoyed the show when it was first popular and felt nostalgic watching the characters 10 years later since the viewers had grown alongside them. I, on the other hand, binged watched the entire show alongside the newer part within a couple of months, so the time change really messed me up. Here’s a big spoiler of the show: the Netflix original is terrible. After watching 7 seasons of young Lorelai and Rory, it was disappointing to see their lack of growth after ten years.
From Rory’s lack of commitment in her love life to Lorelai’s continually underdeveloped relationship with her mother, it seems as though the characters have gotten worse with time. I felt like my months of faithful watching ended in confusion and the hope that I’m not as lost as Rory when I’m in my 30s. But personal dissatisfaction aside, the show does send a genuine message about the hardships in breaking out of habits and moving towards a better life. So instead of spending 1000 words ranting about topics like why Jess is far superior to Logan or Dean, I’d rather look into the deeper ideas that arise from the show as a whole.
If there’s one thing I can appreciate about the show, it’s that the lives of Lorelai and Rory are far more practical than other shows. Instead of Rory being a super popular journalist with a perfect life, she’s still struggling with her career and trying to figure herself out as a person. While Lorelai has been close to Luke for decades, she still struggles in communicating clearly with him. The viewers may not get a perfect ending, but they’re left with a feeling of comfort, knowing that the story doesn’t end there. I appreciated hearing that message, since most of the media highlights the idea of creating a “new you” or starting with a clean slate, instead of improving from your current state. We try so hard to hide our pasts, even though it is our experiences that help us become better people.
A fitting but random example that applies is of the Chinese Bamboo Tree; for its first five years, the plant is not seen above ground. With continued watering and nurturing, the plant only begins to show itself in its fifth year! Our growth is
similar. We may not see improvements externally, but making small efforts towards our futures pays off in the end. Just as Rory aspired for a journalistic career from her Chilton days, we all have the same opportunity to plan ahead and envision our futures.
Some may see a huge mansion and a high paying job, while others hope for a family of their own or a supportive friend group. Besides the fact that our dying planet may have already wiped out the human population by then, we all have our own visions for the future. But our aspirations all lead to one question: are we willing to work for what we want?