It's not all make believe

Admitting I have a problem is the first step to healing, I'm told. That is, if I were willing to heal myself from the chaos that comes with being an avid "Grey's Anatomy" fan.

I know the show is full of ridiculous relationships, exaggerated emotions, and completely unrealistic medical monstrosities. But what can I say, addictions aren't rational.

With the season 5 finale taking over two hours of my life tomorrow night, I'm saddened and intrigued by the coordination of this show and the course of my college education. I started watching the show a little late in the game my sophomore year, but after catching up on seasons 1 and 2, I've never looked back.

The show has been one constant for me in a time when I never lived in one place for more than 9 months. Friday afternoons I knew that no matter what had gone on in the week, or how chaotic my life seemed, I could connect to abc.com and join people whose lives were inevitably more screwed up than mine. I could escape for 42 minutes into a world not entirely separate from my own, with characters who go big or go home. It's kept me connected to friends outside of college, as we've been able to rant and rave about Meredith's latest antics, or Callie's latest sexual orientation. This year I've been able to watch it in real time on Thursday nights, but the connection is still the same.

So tomorrow, I will make myself a heaping bowl of air-pop popcorn, pour a glass of milk, and settle in for a finale that I'm predicting will result in the death/absence of at least one major character. Hopefully the same will not be true in my own life.

And as a side note, here's an interesting article written by the show's neurological script consultant. It's fascinating.