Time Enough at Last

When I was a kid the Twilight Zone wasn't just a TV show, it was my gateway into the world of fiction, unlike the boring stuff I was forced to read in school. Pictured above is the great Burgess Meredith in one of the best episodes, Time Enough at Last. It originally aired 65 years ago! The episodes are on Netflix, I still watch once in a while. At its best the Twilight Zone accomplished what fiction is aiming for: To draw the viewer, or reader into the world of the protagonist, and to forget their own troubles for a while.

Meredith's character, Henry Bemis, is a bookworm trapped in a life filled with annoyingly non-literary distractions like his job and his wife. His dream comes true when a nuclear bomb conveniently goes off while he's safely cocooned in a bank vault. Post-apocalypse, he finds he has all the time in the world—until his glasses break. Typical Twilight Zone ironic plot twist.

I know, there are a lot of plot holes! Yes, let’s ignore that in reality, Bemis would’ve likely been vaporized, or walking into a still deadly radioactive wasteland rather than a librarian’s paradise. Suspension of disbelief is part of the enjoyment of storytelling. Remember it's a parable, and even Rod Serling probably didn't think we'd be discussing this episode in 2024.

So, how does Bemis’ shattered spectacles relate to me? Well, I've always wanted to write, and retirement supposedly handed me 'time enough at last.' Instead, I’m battling the dreaded blank screen and fixing yesterday’s less-than-ready-for-prime-time prose. And let's not forget what author Steven Pressfield calls: Resistance, with a capital R, a force that stops you from doing your work, that leads you to time wasting on social media and checking your emails.  But unlike Bemis, I’m prepared—I’ve got backup glasses. And it's fun making up stories.

Today I'm going to be a guest on a podcast where I promise to be more amusing than whiny—think of me as a cheerier, more verbose Bemis, just with better luck in eyewear.

BREAKING NEWS! Podcast on YouTube:
​ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bb1O6BCeGcc

Note: whenever I watch, part of the fun is trying to talk like Rod Serling. He says "The Twilight Zone," with his teeth clenched. Try It!