The World Stops Turning

I read the other day that CBS was canceling the soap opera, "As the World Turns" next September after a run of 54 years. I hadn't given daytime drama (beyond my office) a thought in years, nor do I know who stars in them these days. But I used to know!  I grew up with the soaps, thanks to my mother and my grandmother. I continued watching ATWT even after I married and went to work full-time. Of course, back then the plots were discussed at the office and everybody watched the shows. Ironically, there is now an entire channel devoted to the soaps, but I guess fewer people than ever watch them. At least no one ever mentions it.

Everybody I know always talked about "Days of Our Lives," but my mother was a CBS fan.  She watched "The Young and the Restless" followed by "The Bold and the Beautiful" and then "As the World Turns."  After ATWT was over she would change the channel to ABC and watch "General Hospital."  I remember Julianne Moore, Meg Ryan, and Maresi Tomei all playing on ATWT.  But, my favorite storyline had to be Holden and Lily.  I thought Jon Hensley (Holden) was the hottest thing ever, and I taped the show each day and watched it after I got home after work. Of course, no one will ever forget the Luke and Laura story on GH.  And I know that Marlena did everything possible on "Days," including suffering satanic possession, even though I did not watch that one. Occasionally, I would get sick of the plot and stop following, but I knew exactly how to keep up with what was going on, without watching every day.  Around 1988 I hit upon a fantastic Christmas gift idea for my grandmother: a subscription to the "Soap Opera Digest."  She loved it!  Every year I renewed her subscription, and I would read the latest copy when I visited her apartment. After about 15 minutes I was good to go, totally caught up for another couple of weeks. My Grandmother died in 1997, and that's probably when my interest in soap operas died, too.

I never thought about it before, but I never see anyone watching one of the soaps in the kitchen during lunch these days.  I guess it's been years since I did.  Honestly, it's been years since I even thought about it. I suppose that is why the shows are slowing dying.  It makes me a little sad, not because I care about the soaps, but because of the memories associated with them. Memories of my mother and grandmother. They sure did like their "stories."  Print this post