Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Chris. Chris Owen. On the radio I was Chris Caldwell. Yep. Back in my younger days, I thought I was going to grow up to be the next Bob Robbins or Casey Kasem. I started out doing college radio at KSWH at Henderson State University. From there I worked at KSSN 96 in Little Rock and then US 97 and KLAZ in Hot Springs. It was really fun while it lasted, but I had to get a “real” job. (No offense to you guys and gals still sitting behind the mic.)
Now I work for Birch Tree Communities, Inc and have pretty much for the laat 13 years. I love this organization and I love serving men and women who live with a chronic serious mental illness. I’m blessed to be able to work with some of the most incredible people I’ve ever met.
People that live with a mental illness are no different than you and me. They were simply dealt a really tough hand. They have an illness, and it’s an illness that SHOULDN’T be treated any differently than other illnesses like the flu, cancer, diabetes, heart disease, etc. However, in our society, we normalize talking about these “physical” health maladies, but we get really uncomfortable when it comes to addressing depression, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, or other mental health conditions.
It’s time to change that. Will you help me?
Okay, so that’s who I am and that’s what I do. What else do I do? I’m glad you asked! I love music and I love TV/movies. That’s why we’re here. Right?! In this brand new column, I want to share with you what I’m watching, whether or not I like it, and why.
Friends: The Reunion Special (HBO Max)
Let’s get started with a reunion special 17 years in the making. As many of you, I’m sure, know, this show means more to me than I could possibly explain. I love absolutely everything about ‘Friends.’ It is, without a doubt one of the most iconic sitcoms in television history. The casting was perfect. The entire storyline was awesome (MAYBE with the exception of the Joey and Rachel relationship stuff!) Even the ending was amazing. Granted, I never wanted it to end, but they did it in a really great way. They went out on top and everyone got their happy ending.
Now for 17 years, fans have been begging for some sort of reunion… and we finally got it. I’ve seen a lot of people complaining online about James Corden being chosen as the host for the reunion special, but I couldn’t care less. It was amazing to see them all together again on that incredible set. It was awesome to see Joey and Chandler sitting in their chairs. It was awesome to see Phoebe sing Smelly Cat in Central Perk. And my mind was blown when Ross and Rachel revealed a long kept secret. The bloopers were hilarious and the tears were real. It’s so clear that these 6 actors have such a real love for one another.
The word “friend” means different things to different people, but it means everything to me. My friends are my family! My friends are who I’ve turned to over and over and over again throughout my life and they’ve always been there.
If you were ever a fan of the show, I encourage you to watch the reunion special. Go into it with an open mind remembering they’re all 17 years older and don’t expect a scripted “sitcom” reunion.
I LOVED IT, and I’m sure I’ll watch it many more times.
See the archives of Watch This with Chris at www.mysaline.com/watch-this