The Soaps

All my life I've had a love/hate relationship with the soaps. 

When I was in elementary school every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday we were sent home at noontime for lunch. Then we were expected to return to school at one. (In those days we all walked, and parents did not accompany us. We were expected to walk both ways on our own, even in Kindergarten and First Grade. A scary prospect to parents now. Sorry to digress.) 

All the other kids would go home and watch a children's show that was broadcast during that time, and they would talk and laugh about it when we returned to class. I, however, went home to my grandmother watching As the World Turns, Love of Life, or A Guiding Light. 

No matter how much I begged and pleaded my mother and grandmother would not change the station.

I hated those shows.

Then came Dark Shadows. I had to go to work everyday directly from school. And every morning everyone in school would be talking about Dark Shadows. (There were no DVRs back in the Dark Ages.)

Then I had babies and I worked nights so that I could raise the babies during the day. My stay-at-home friends introduced me to Erica Kane and the delights of Pine Valley. Soon I began watching One Life to Live and General Hospital too. They gave a nursing mom a voyeuristic view of the "world". Ryan's Hope! I loved all the Ryans and I used to be able to rattle off all of Delia Reid's married names. I am still in mourning for Ryan's Hope and ABC took that off the air 26 years ago!!! (They are not my favorite network and if they didn't have Castle and Once Upon A Time I would never watch them.)

Several years ago I went cold turkey and stopped watching all my daytime soaps. Even though I no longer watched them, it was comforting to know I could turn them on anytime I needed to see my friends. Because when you watch these shows they become people you care for. (There is nothing worse then when a show brings a new writing team in and they change how the characters respond.)

Since ABC took All My Children and One Life to Live off the air I have never watched another daytime show on ABC. (I know how to hold a grudge.) There is one exception. I return every year for the revival of the Nurse's Ball on General Hospital. I love to watch the actors sing and dance.

Did you or do you watch a soap? (Be careful with your answer, shows like Scandal and Revenge are soaps.)