It might be a useful, albeit unusual, exercise, in the pursuit of accurate objectivity on occasion, to review one’s daily experiences in the pretended guise and context of an uninvolved, television spectator of an episode in a series portraying the scenario of his daily life, and to relegate his observations and felt comments to spontaneous, mental footnotes.
In one such participation, the series episode opens with the spectator- the protagonist, throwing off his blanket, sitting up slowly, yawning, and scratching his head and then his chest. Being a Saturday, he has allowed himself to sleep one hour later than his regular weekly schedule. He is seen, entering his bathroom, brushing his teeth, showering, skipping his workday shave, and then slowly proceeding to his modest kitchen to make coffee and to slice and toast an “everything” bagel to be buttered for breakfast.
The name is Harry, he is 33 years of age, single, lonely, somewhat shy, has worked as an auditor for eight years at a large accounting firm, has an allergy to lactose, votes Democratic, and as his sole companion, has a small, furry, male cat which he named, “Anthony,” after his favorite actor, Anthony Hopkins. For recreation, he watches movies on television, on occasion, participates as a docent in the Museum of Natural History, reads John Le Carre, and, when in the mood, takes walks in Central Park.
He was born in Middletown Connecticut, went to primary school there, and subsequently obtained his accounting degree from Connecticut University. In his senior year, he fell, “head over heels,” in love, with a co-ed, a certain Anne Baxter, however, so evinced a chronic and uncomfortable shyness that, despite their full year of loving commitment, Anne decided to marry Randy Mahnn, the supremely, confident quarterback of the University football team. Harry was so heartbroken that he moved to New York, and took his present small, dark apartment on the Upper West Side.
On the day that Harry chose to imagine (as suggested, above) that he was a viewer of an episode, in a Roku series, based on his life, it had been raining heavily. Nevertheless, after breakfast, he, in the mental context of such a faux spectator “views himself” putting on his torn yellow raincoat, taking his umbrella, and venturing outside for a slightly wet, stroll along Fifth Avenue, on his familiar route to the Museum.
In this (his) selected episode, during his walk, he views himself happening upon a single, expensive-looking, sapphire earring, lying next to a wind-blown ice cream wrapper, at the sidewalk curb at 78th and Fifth Avenue. In this observed episode, he views himself picking up the beautiful earring and installing it, for safekeeping, in the right pocket of his rain-damp brown slacks.
His (self-watched) episode, later in the day, portrays himself stopping at an interesting-looking, well-stocked, brightly lit bookstore, furnished with tables and chairs for reading and drinking the coffee, there on sale. He would look for the latest novel by John Le Carre to enjoyably read in his easy chair. As Harry entered the bookstore he discerned a faint, pleasant, scent of perfume that, for some forgotten reason, smelled familiar. Luckily, he did find the new novel by his favorite author and sat down at an available seat at one of the reading tables to further examine it. The one other reader, at the table appeared to be a young woman who, at the moment, was standing, with her back toward him.
The episode reveals that, on the portion of the table in front of the woman’s chair, there appeared to be several pages of handwritten notes, a half-empty coffee cup, and, remarkably, an earring, identical to the one Harry had earlier found at a sidewalk curb and now resting, for safekeeping, in his pants pocket.
He tapped her on her back as she was still standing and facing away, speaking to someone, and forthrightly and confidently, demanded of the young lady, “ Miss, is this yours?” The woman was twice overjoyed in its discovery and return, and, as well in short order, identified Harry, her (now speaking with appropriate confidence), former college sweetheart. “Anne,” he exclaimed, simultaneously, with her equally, surprised shriek, “Harry” and the episode concludes as they passionately embrace.
In the next episode of the imagined, Roku series, Anne reveals to Harry her ultimate break-up with Lance, over his drinking problem and over-weaning taste for the opposite sex. The entire series concludes with a magnificent final scene, the joyous wedding of a determined and confident Harry and a loving and duly respectful, Anne.
We are not so naïve nor are we so sophomorically, bold as to assert that the exercise of the suggested technique, viz. imagining yourself a spectator of a contrived, episode of a serial drama, portraying your life, will invariably, result in complete success. Nevertheless, it would, at a minimum, be useful to have the opportunity to see oneself, as others may see you, the latter, in confirmation or perhaps, in contrast, to your subjectively, presumed self-image.
-p.
plinyblogdotcom 
Why is it #947?
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