Guilty Pleasures Aren't Guilty if You Refuse to Feel Guilty. They're Just Pleasures.
Some hearty suggestions for the weekend as we round third toward home
TV:
Platonic on Apple TV. If you liked the Neighbors movies, you’ll love this show. If you’ve got a Schitt’s Creek or Ted Lasso itch, Platonic can probably scratch it. Caveat: it’s quite white and very upper-middle class.
This is a hit in our house. We often have to pause it because we’re laughing too hard.
Yes, I find Rose Byrne’s character a tad relatable.
About the title: 'platonic in this case is of course implying “just friends; a nonsexual relationship.” That’s the way lots of folks use it.
Not to be all “well, actually,” but the word Platonic originally comes from the ancient Greek philosopher Plato and his concept of idealism.
Plato’s idealism taught that “the phenomena of our world are to be truly known by contemplating them in their ideal forms or abstract essences.”
Thus, a Platonic ideal is that which is “pertaining to, involving, or characterized by a striving toward love of spiritual or ideal beauty.”
I like to think about that when thinking about relationships and friendships.
What is an ideal friend? What do we strive for in a relationship?
Bringing ideals and essence back down to real life, I don’t think there’s one answer.
As in: there is no one ideal person and there is no one ideal relationship.
I think it takes all kinds of relationships to sustain a human person.
For me? Well, there’s my family of course.
And my husband, who is my partner in every way.
Then there are my friends from all different walks of life who add so much to my world.
Arriving now to the other sense of Platonic:
I have always had a lot of guy friends. I love them and feel completely comfortable with them, including going out for lunch or a drink or hanging out just the two of us.
Recently I asked my husband if he was cool with me having lunch with a new-ish guy friend.
“You’re cool if W and I go out to lunch, right?”
My husband stopped chopping onions and looked up. “You’ve never asked me that before.”
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