Do I Live in a Soap Opera?

On Friday, July 3rd, I watched a daily soap that I enjoyed in my childhood days with my grandmother. "The Guiding Light" which will soon be off the air. On this day on the show, they were celebrating the annual Bauer Barbecue, which despite all the differences between the residents of the fictitious Springfield, everyone comes together on this one day of the year, friend, family and foe, to celebrate the birth of our great nation.

Guests arrive at the Bauer home toting their homemade goodies like apple pie, potato salad, or even chocolate cake. And after a day filled with softball and sack races, hamburgers and hot dogs, all come together for the fireworks display and so goes another red, white and blue memory.

On July 4th, I too was preparing my special dishes for the annual Turner Family Barbecue: fruit salad, and home made coconut cake. As I was tossing the coconut onto the cream cheese and butter frosting, it occurred to me, I was getting ready to go to the Bauer Family Barbecue. There would be friends, family, strangers, ex spouses, just all sorts of people coming together to celebrate the birth of our great nation.

So was real life imitating television? Or is television based on real life?