Hey guys, it's Scott.
It is December 24th. It is Christmas Eve and I am on my way to the all-night pharmacy to get antibiotics for Quinny, who suddenly developed an ear infection in the middle of Target while we were getting last minute things, but he's okay. And then I'm picking dinner up and then I'm going home. And I spent the morning watching Cheers, which is my favorite show of all time.
I used to watch it every night with my parents at 11 o'clock on Channel 11 WPIX growing up in New York City, and it has a very special place in my heart. Funnily enough when I was in high school, my parents actually surprised me with tickets to go see one of the last episodes being rehearsed. And they told me we were going to Boston to go to the bar, the Bull and Finch, which was the place where they filmed the outside of Cheers, at least. And instead, we went to California and I have a picture of me and my sister at the bar and we got to meet everybody—Ted Danson and Woody Harrelson, it was unbelievable. I'll never forget it.
But the show has a special place in my heart because it's so sincere. It sort of reminds me of Ted Lasso (starring Jason Sudekis, the nephew of Cheers actor George Wendt) or Downton Abbey. They’re shows that you watch because you fall in love with the characters and you don't want anything bad to happen to them. They become neighborhoods for you, as strange as that sounds, and as empty as that sounds, sometimes, because it's television. But we're storytellers, and the point is that when you have a story like that, and a story environment that just brings you inside and makes you feel at home, there's something deeply special about that. And it's an incredible show. I mean, the writing alone, just being able to set the whole thing in basically one room, or a couple rooms in a bar, and almost never leave.
But for me, no matter how stressed I was, no matter how worried I was, I could take a break at 11 o'clock and watch Cheers. And the kids are just starting to come around, their Christmas gift to me is that they're gonna watch some of it with me tomorrow.
But it got me thinking about growing up and anxiety. I was the kind of kid, I don't know if you're this way, but I was always pretty neurotic. I still am. And I would always live in fear of a shoe dropping, that things were good now, but they had to go bad soon. Something was gonna happen. I was gonna lose my grandparents or there would be some some tragedy. I would get sick or somebody else would. It was very cute when I was growing up, before I sort of learned to manage it better. And now it's there. It's more generalized, and I think a lot of it is mostly because you go through bad years and you go through deaths, and you go through times when your kids are sick and you're uncertain about things, and you lose your job or all of that stuff. Now, as an older guy, as a dad, I feel it in a more pervasive way, but less terrifying.
I would say that I've had some Christmases where things were dark, where I was extremely worried about my life, my kids lives, my work, or I was depressed, all that stuff. But being older now, you realize you get through those times, and that Christmas is a moment that you almost get a chance to take a break and get out of your own head, if you can. And I know that for a lot of people it exacerbates those problems, but mostly what I want to say to people today, if you're a subscriber, whether you like anything I've ever done or dislike everything I've done, it doesn't matter to me. I'm here to just tell you that from my family to yours, we're sending you love and thinking about you. And I'm grateful for you listening to this and that no matter what you're going through.
If it's good a year, I'm excited for you, I'm happy for you. I hope everybody in your life is healthy and in a good spot. And if it's not that way, then I hope that you have the ability on a day like this, or a night like this, to know that we all go through that and feel that way, and on the other side there'll be better days and that you can find some thing to escape to to make yourself feel at home and cared about. Even if it's a favorite show. Even if it's just a favorite comic book or favorite character. Whatever it is, let yourself feel at home tonight and cared for.
And if it means anything at all to you, know that all of us here at Best Jackett—Ty and Will and all the co-creators, but especially me and my family are sending you love and and hoping that you have a great night tonight, and that everybody in your life is happy and healthy. And again, if it's not one of those times, that you are able to see that down the road things will get better. And again, Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, lots of love to you and yours and thank you for everything!
S
Newsletter 110: Our Best Christmas