Soap Opera Anyone?

Have you ever spent time watching a Soap Opera – either on a regular basis or as a one-time thing? As a teen girl I, and about every other girl I knew, watched one of them on a regular basis. For the life of me I can’t figure out why now. Or can I? As I stopped to think about it I realized it was because at that age “high drama=cool grown-up.” Don’t laugh, I’m sure it’s true!!! The soaps are full of high drama; drama in dating relationships, friendships, business, even parenting.

In high school everything was a major dramatic moment because you were 1) learning how to deal with dating, friendships, college, and life on an entirely different level and 2) drama made us cool by giving us fun and exciting stories for people to listen to and that made us feel wonderful and grown-up.

Can it go too far? Think about those you knew in high school that were “drama queens” – socially, emotionally immature seeking to feel and be recognized as cool and grown-up. Sadly many drama queens go on to become full-blown “drama junkies.” Yes, it can go too far. They live their lives in a constant state of dramatic upheaval and when they don’t have natural, albeit blown out of proportion, drama - they create it.

I know a guy who tells the greatest stories. One time he told me that he often takes things out of the original story or event, adds things in, or changes the order to make them more entertaining for the listener. Huh?! Interesting. I wondered how much of what he had told me over the years was actually true. More importantly, why did he do this. Well, he was a teenage Drama King who never matured and became a full-blown drama junkie. He is stuck in that cycle of needing high drama to feel cool and grown-up.

I was somewhat shocked with this realization. He's a respected professional. He's a family man. Everyone loves him. But when you look down deep enough, through all those external layers, there it is. The ugly truth. Drama Junkie.

It wasn't long ago that I got my opportunity to find out the extent of this. To shorten a rather long and potentially dull story, I shared something with him in confidence which he told to my pastor BUT left out many details making it seem as though I was blaming him (the pastor) for a situation/incident that I actually was blaming myself for. The drama that ensued can only be summed up with an adolescent OMG.

Of course, I tried to set it straight but damage is damage. I wonder now how many other lies and misdirected truths were told about me by this junkie.

So, what do we do about the drama junkies in our lives? I don't really know. So, I will continue to pray for himto mature, pray for them to find another outlet and another way to bolster their self-esteem, self-respect, and self-efficacy. But moost of all, I will give him nothing upon which to build his dramatic moment.

I'm accepting other ideas...

Until then, we are The Bold and The Beautiful, The Young and The Restless. As The World Turn, these are the Days of Our Lives so following your Guiding Light.