A friend shared a quote on Facebook with me from Helen Keller who said “No pessimist ever discovered the secret of the stars, or sailed to an uncharted land, or opened a new doorway for the human spirit”. I thought, wow, the timing on that quote was incredible. I also thought that I would add “No big adventure should ever be embarked upon without a little bit of regard”.
I was thinking this because of a conversation I had with Matt yesterday afternoon. We were talking about his family’s likely return to filming “Little People Big World” and what that would mean to their lives. Returning was a big decision that has been in discussions really since before the final episode aired last December. At that time the family was somewhat spent and really couldn’t see a return happening for a very long time. They had given a huge part of their lives to the show and they really needed a breather. Sometimes you have to back away from something to get a better view of it and LPBW is no exception. With the distant perspective, it becomes clearer how valuable all of the little nook and crannies are that were overlooked at the time and how the insights and knowledge gained become even more enlightening. You also get a better road map to navigate your future adventures.
Matt mentioned a conversation he had with Molly. It was a simple conversation, just an everyday kind of chat. He was driving down his driveway heading home and Molly was on her way out of the farm to a friend’s birthday and they stopped window to window to catch up. They talked about where she was going and he told her how pretty she looked. He remarked that she was now officially a “Senior in High School” and how proud he was of her. They talked about what her final calculus grade was (A) and how she was hoping for an A+, Matt glowed at her accomplishment, and before she drove off, she said “I love you daddy”. Matt told me that he was thinking at the time that the ‘process of filming’ would sometimes get in the way of the naturalness of their conversations and that was one of the things they were considering when the family discussed the idea to move forward with doing more episodes.
This next go around has a different set of eyes and understanding on it. It took many months of negotiations to lock down the parameters to go forward and a top of the list item was a less time demanding, intrusive or constrictive agreement. That was paramount to the decision being made. Never the less, the family knows that no amount of talking, thinking or planning will totally eliminate the unknowns and that is what makes it an adventure.
To be a Reality TV personality, you have to have a very thick skin, much thicker than I have I must say. So as a friend and a person, I am in awe of each and every one of the Roloffs’. And as a fan, I am truly excited for the possibility of new shows and I’m grateful to the Roloff family if they make the decision to continue to share a little more of their lives with us. On the eve of their new adventure, I wish them all the best.
