Unfortunately Being Erica

CBC has this show, "Being Erica," in which a thirtysomething underachiever learns Valuable Life Lessons by reliving events from her past and talking with a magic shrink dude.

I don't really like the show. I know I'm supposed to. But I don't. Yes, I've watched more than one episode. Yes, I'm aware that part of my dislike is a weird talking thing that the lead actress does. Holly Hunter, Keira Knightley, and Winona Ryder all annoy me for a similar thing they do. And yes, I'm extremely aware that none of this is logical.

Imagine my excitement to realize I get my own private Being Erica experience.

We're on a trip to southern Ontario. My husband has a little business to attend to. I'm going along for the ride. Then we get to visit family.

And I will see Toronto, and parts of the rest of southern Ontario, as an adult. It's a little bit of a do-over, a chance at a Life Lesson. Dammit.

The last time I was in greater Toronto was multiple decades ago, when I was a teenager. Back then, I was resentful at leaving our fabulous vacation in the cool boreal forest to go to large hot cities full of people I didn't know to do "family" stuff with strangers and then go back home where it was also hot and humid.

In other words, going to southern Ontario was the end of the fun part of vacation and a return to drudgery, and every day spent en route was a day stolen from Paradise.

What can I say? No room for gray in a teenager's world.

Fast forward those decades. I've known for years that I should want to go to Toronto. What's not to like? It's a city, lots of amenities, an important part of this country. For two years, I've even theoretically wanted to go visit the stepson. However, in practice, just thinking about southern Ontario brought up all that old stuff.

Hence the Being Erica experience--I mean, sorta. I'm not actually becoming a teenager again, and I'm grateful for that. There's no magic shrink dude--my husband would laugh if I tried to cast him in that role.

But I can predict the Life Lessons. There's nothing inherently wrong with southern Ontario--Toronto and the other cities we're stopping in are probably interesting, wonderful places to visit. And when you live in Paradise, going home is doubly fabulous.

Look out, Monday.