Glee 5.11, Nationals, What everybody misses about Sam

I read a lot of spoilers about Glee, but nobody under the age of 35 seems to have any grip on what really happened with Sam this episode. So welcome, to Nationals.

Most of the spoilers were twitching with anger that the straight, blonde, white guy was going to have to save Blaine from a panic attack at nationals. Now, don’t get me wrong here, I would love for them to reintroduce Blaine to his spine because my G-D has his character jumped the shark. BUT.

Let’s review Sam’s high school career …
1. Last guy the lesbian dated, and then, because she’s generally mean, is taunted by her.
2. Briefly homeless.
3. Works secretly as a stripper to provide for his parents.
4. Is found by his high school friends working as a stripper.
5. Lives, apparently, with friends for the rest of high school.
6. Decides against college to be a model in New York.

Through all of this he is an open, pleasant, wide-open kind of guy. A little dumb maybe, but overall you’d invite him to dinner and maybe introduce him to a friend as a romantic potential kind of guy – when he is 20.

His life is going NOWHERE. He’s good looking but he’s not going be a model for long – or well. So Mr. Shu sets him up. With a prepared & ready group, Shu looks at him as says, “you’re a leader, you’ll get them through this.”

It is the one moment that he’ll look back on for the rest of his life. He’ll recount his glorious speeches, how he stood up to Jean, how he thought to bring the plaque and then got mad and shouty at Throat Explosion. He’ll use the stories to get women into bed until he is 25, he’ll tell it to his kids until he is 40, his grandkids will snicker about his high school glory days even after he dies.

Still. For one glorious moment, Sam Evans will have stepped forward into the spotlight that was never meant for him – because Mr. Shu pointed it at him, just this once.

The Start of Week Four

My work situation rearranged four weeks ago. It still feels like 100% the right thing at the right time and here is the roundup of some of the stuff that has happened.

1. I turned my phone ringer on for (basically) the first time in 3 months. I switched up all my ring tones and I don’t startle when my phone rings anymore (one of the strangest parts of my experiment with anxiety was my reaction to my phone).

2. The anxiety experiment seems to have finished itself off about mid-October. If it comes back I will deal with it, but it feels like it is gone for now.

3. I helped a friend with medical stuff when she needed it.

4. I got to carve a silly pumpkin.

5. I’m making it to the gym 3-4 times a week.

6. I’m free to make a trip that wasn’t planned and feels very important.

7. The dog we borrowed has calmed down a lot with some extra mobility during the day.

8. My lunch hour with friends … has expanded past the standard 60 minutes. As have morning coffee meetings.

9. My husband gets to finish his work and leave it at work instead of rushing to leave and needing to bring it home.

10. I got to design a project which I’m excited about. Not just think of it, but really work through what it will be and then work towards selling and delivering it. Because my whole life has been filled with these sort of ideas, being able to finally work it through and DO it makes my 40th year feel really special and filled with potential.

I did a different project a few years ago, and this one has gone better than that one did (for a number of reasons). So my plan is that the next project will go better than this one, and so on and so on. I understand that success isn’t linear but as long as I don’t forget stuff as I go — knowledge won’t do a downhill slide. I am learning so much right now.

(Bonus! I am participating with a group that always felt like it took too much time away from my family. Now if feels important to spend that small (seasonal) chunk of time with others).

(Extra Bonus! My WTNV t-shirt and my Doctor Who 50th shirt are getting WORN!)

(Sorry, one more Bonus!) It was 70 and sunny today, I got to work at one of the coffee shops while sitting in the sun. I am becoming the Impossible Girl.