TV's Yellow Umbrella

When we look back on the world of television we will most likely be enticed by groundbreaking drams such as Law and Order, Breaking Bad, or The Wire. In the sitcom genre we’ll remember the ones that paved the way like Cheers, Mash, or Seinfeld. It should not be too quickly forgotten that one of the most audience captivating shows to ever grace the modern era, was How I Met Your Mother. It’s often asked by non viewers:

“How can you watch nine seasons of a guy telling a story about meeting his wife?”

”How is that entertaining?”

I’ll tell you how.

The epic journey of Ted Mosby and the search for the love of his life is not only an interesting story line that keeps us viewing every week, it’s the true story of all our lives and the eternal happiness we pray and hope for. We all feel this unquenchable thirst for companionship and to be the ones who live out a real fantasy love story. The difference between us and Ted Mosby is that he works for it, he strives for it, and he lets everyone along the way know that no matter how hard it is at times he will not give up. Furthermore, the people he shares his journey with play just as pivotal of a role as he does. What is it about this group of five people, who drink most of their nights away at their home away from home, MacLerans. When the gang gets together for a drink or two, or three, or “all five bitch," it reminds us of our own lives and the places that have become the sanctuary for escaping real world problems. Whether it be a fresh bottle from the beer fridge in the living room or a cold draft from the North Brunswick Pub, we cherish each drink had with the ones we love because these are the moments that get us through the toughest parts of life. Whether it be Ted being left at the altar, Marshall's father dying, Robin quitting Metro News 1, Lilly returning to Marshalls arms, or Barney walking out with the last conquest of his perfect week, MacLarens has been the home to all of our best and worst times.

That’s not all that makes this show so legen...wait for it...dary. The journey taken by Ted Mosby is filled with so many ups and downs and twists and turns, that it gives hope to all those out there struggling with the same dream. Why would a guy keep fighting and searching after so many failed attempts? Well that’s a simple answer. Love.

“If you’re looking for the word that means caring about somebody beyond all rationality and wanting them to have everything they want no matter how much it destroys you, it’s love.” Ted understands so many things about love for somebody still looking for it, and maybe that’s what helps him persist. He also knows why you never settle for the wrong person. Everybody has weird little things about them that you either love or hate. There’s no point in ending up with someone who doesn’t like those things about you. “Shouldn’t we hold out for the person that doesn’t just tolerate our little quirks but actually kind of likes them?” You’re damn right we should Ted. If Ted Mosby never settled then neither should we.

We all know what it’s like to be Ted Mosby and wake up wondering how you got that sprained ankle, or why you got a black eye, or where did this pineapple come from. Ok, maybe not that last one. There’s so much beauty in life and we all urge to find it. Sometimes the best of stories can be summed up in one small object. We all have that object or we all want that object, whether it be a life size stormtrooper, a hot dog cooker from skymall, a comically huge bottle of champagne, or even a blue french horn. These items make up the story of us, and the story of our friends at MacLarens.

The only problem with How I Met Your Mother is that it had to come to an end. Just like all the good times in our own lives, we know these days are numbered. That shouldn’t stop us from enjoying the moments as they come. Even though you know how something’s going to end, that doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy the ride. We keep turning back to HIMYM and the gang because we know that there are people just like us with struggles just like ours. We know that throughout life times can appear scary, however we shouldn’t let that deter us. Remember, if your not scared that means your not taking a chance, and if your not taking a chance what the hell are you doing anyway. Life is scary, sure but it can be something else—awesome. And that’s what we learned from our friends in Manhattan. While we may have been there just as the viewer, it felt like we were standing right there alongside them. We almost feel like we can taste the burger that Marshall searched almost a decade for, like we can feel the joy of finding out that Lily is pregnant, like we can feel the adrenaline of running the newest play of Barney’s playbook, like we were there by her side as Robin landed the helicopter, and like we were standing there on that train platform holding a yellow umbrella on that rainy night in Farhampton.

The thing about HIMYM, is that in the simplest of terms, we're watching ourselves. There's a little bit of Ted, Marshall, Lily, Robin, and Barney in all of us. We all know what it’s like to have childhood dreams and try not to become some corporate sellout, to pursue those dreams even if it means quitting your job and moving to Italy for a year, to never let go of where you come from even if it is the annoyingly cold neighbor to the north, to give life everything you’ve got and search for the one that makes you happy, and to hope that every night with your friends is more legendary than the last.

We have to ask ourselves though—did HIMYM do it on it’s own? Probably not. I mean, would we ever have had the city based sitcom if it wasn’t for Seinfeld, would ever have had the constant on and off again back and forth of Ted and Robin if it wasn’t for Ross screaming the words “We were on a break!” Would we ever have had the comfort of Maclarens if it wasn’t for the Boston-based beer house where everybody knows your name. Who’s to say, really? There is one thing I can say. I know the feeling of having one too many with my friends on a Friday night, and HIMYM reminded me of that. I also know the feeling of pain when your heart is broken by someone you think you love, and HIMYM reminded me of that. But most importantly, I know the horrifyingly exciting feeling of going up to a girl, whether in a bar, in an elevator, or on that train platform in Farhampton, and HIMYM reminded me of that.

This series is filled with so many moments that tug at our hearts, but if you had to walk away with one lesson from all of it, it should be this. “Whatever you do in this life, it’s not legendary unless your friends are there to see it.”