You know how music can transport you back to a time and place? How we know where we were when a significant personal event occurred, or one that was as far reaching as it can get and still be on this planet, like September 11, 2001. I am NOT comparing a television show to a terrorist attack. I am just referencing the moments in our past that have left a mark, either because of their horror or their joy.
In May of 2001, I was at my then company’s annual national sales meeting in Las Vegas. It was around the time of my birthday as well as in the spring, when my husband and I take vacation, so for the first and only time, he joined me on a business trip. We stayed after the meeting was over to enjoy some gambling and desert sun. It was a night off during the meeting, a Wednesday, and after dinner we settled into our room at the Luxor to watch The West Wing. Although recording it at home on a VHS tape, we wanted to watch it live. Those were the old days, when we could look out the window and see a stagecoach drive by the giant faux Spinx out front. It was during this episode that a beloved character in President Bartlett’s inner circle was killed off. We were stunned.
Given the things that have occurred in both the greater world and my own in the two decades since, “stunned” may seem a dramatic, exaggerated choice of word. It is not. The West Wing is Mister Rain’s favorite show of all time, it is also in my top five, at least. For many years when football season was over, my hushed would rewatch the series via the DVD box set I gave him as a birthday gift. I have seen all the episodes multiple times as well.
When Mister Rain saw online that the Paley Center in New York City was having an exhibit on The West Wing to celebrate the 25th anniversary of its premier in 1999, he wanted to go. My motto is, “I’ll go anywhere. Any time. Like a pregnant woman in her 9th month of pregnancy, you can assume that I have a bag packed.” That is, I realize, a long motto. You can cut it down to “I’ll go anywhere.” We bought tickets, reserved a hotel room at an exorbitant summer rate, found a sitter for Piper and off we went.
The best way to convey how we feel about the show is to tell you that all we need is to hear is the theme music. We immediately look at each other, either with tears in our eyes or extending an arm to indicate to the other that we have goose pimples. Maybe both. As we presented our online tickets at the front desk of the museum, off to our left was a giant screen showing scenes from the series, the partial theme running every few minutes between the unrelated clips that we know by heart. We hadn’t even entered the exhibit yet.
Once we did, we were greeted by photographs of the cast, by mannequins (ugh – see “Unhidden Figures”) representing each actor in an outfit their character wore. There were copies of scripts hanging on the wall that you could read, as well as a pilot script autographed by the entire cast. The personal script of the late, great John Spencer was there, his notes all over the pages. A model of the set of The West Wing, once residing on two different sound stages due to its enormous size, was a marvel; the scope of the build incredible to even us two Wing Nuts. We had heard that the set was constructed for the iconic “walk and talks”, allowing the actors to speak rapid fire Aaron Sorkin dialogue while navigating the corridors of the faux White House. A briefing room podium allowed for photo ops, asl well as a false door to the Oval Office.
Taking the elevator to the Paley Center’s theater, we watched a documentary about The West Wing that included interviews with former presidents not about the show, but their experience as commander in chief. Scenes from the series depicting the subjects they spoke about were woven in between.
Before leaving the Paley Center, we did one more pass through the exhibit. Like the show itself, we did not want it to end.
Luckily, a new behind the scenes book, “What’s Next?”, had just come out the day before, written by Melissa Fitzgerald and Mary McCormack. I read it, now my husband, who has not read a book since the introduction of the web into our lives, is now having the pleasure of the president. IYKYK. And, of course, there are seven seasons, 154 episodes, that you can currently watch on MAX. And I am. At this writing, I am on season 3, episode 12. I braced myself for the death of the character I first experienced in Vegas all those years ago. It didn’t help, those original feelings were there, as were a few tears. The West Wing still holds up, as does my love for it. It is funny, sad, poignant, politics a la romanticized, it is smart. And like anything great, it is mostly about the people: their love and respect for each other and their country, their intentions, their passion, their commitment to serve and TO DO THE RIGHT THING.
President Josiah Bartlett: There’s a promise that I ask everyone who works here to make: Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful committed citizens can change the world. Do you know why?
Will Bailey: Because it’s the only thing that ever has.
The West Wing still holds up.
I have to go now. I am wanted in the Oval.
#sisterrain #alittlesightalotofheart #legallyblindtraveler #travel #newyorkcity #paleycenter #letbartlettbebartlett #bartlettforamerica #wingnuts #whatsnext #thewestwing
