Life Swap

Okay, I have a confession to make. I really like to watch ABC's reality show Wife Swap.

At times the show borders on Jerry Springer type of conflicts, but overall it is a good show. For those of you not familiar with the show, it takes two families and swaps wives for two weeks. They find the most extreme opposites to switch. The first week the wives have to do whatever the family/mom normally does. So she lives in the other's shoes for a week. Then she gets to change the rules and for one week the family goes by the new mom's rules.

Because they choose extremes, there is a lot of tears and conflict, but usually by the end of the show everyone has learned a little balance. It is such a unique glimpse into the choices of people. I am amazed at how some people live.

I think what it teaches most; however, is the need for balance or margin in our lives. Because these people are extreme one way or the other, they miss out on a lot of life. They stereotype themselves out of experiences.

For example one punk rock family get the mom of a baseball obsessed family. The baseball mom makes the little boy play a game of baseball, in which he hits a home run. Not only did he like it, he was able to make friends with the very kids he hated most. Likewise, the punk rock mom made the baseball loving boy take electric guitar lessons, and he really liked it as well.

The parents grow as well. Most come to some compromise of change. No-disciple parents start taking some steps to order and discipline. Over-structured parents give some freedom and loosen up. It's a great show at exposing human nature and stereotyping.

I think we ALL could use some balance in our lives. We all need to see life from another's perspective and find out what makes sense to them. When we do that, we tend to appreciate what we have more and gain priceless experiences at the same time.

Okay, I am off my soapbox. All you naysayers can mock me now.