Bruce’s 5 Things The Brady Bunch Taught Us About Life

The passing of Ann B. Davis over the weekend got me to thinking of my childhood. I grew up with Alice Nelson, that's her last name, well her character's last name when she was with  the Brady's. I think now would be a great time to revisit some of the great lessons that TV show taught my generation.

I was about the same age as Greg and Marcia but probably empathized more with Bobby and Cindy. I was the baby and the youngest so the Brady Bunch was a good blueprint of  how I should live my life in order to get my way in dealing with older siblings. Little did I know there were so many other great life lessons we learned from watching the Bradys.

Telling Lies is a Good Thing: Bobby told a lie about being sick and wanting to meet Joe Namath and guess who he got to meet? That's right Joe Namath! Marcia promised her school that she could get Davy Jones to come to their dance. Guess who showed up at the dance, that's right Davy freakin' Jones. Following this example I can tell you that Garth Brooks and Trisha Yearwood will be our special guests at this years Nurses Banquet. It worked for the Bradys it better work for me.

If You Visit a Ghost Town You Might Meet Somebody From Gilligan's Island: I know that episode, it was part of the Grand Canyon trip. The gang decided to visit an abandoned ghost town and that's where they were held hostage by none other than Thurston Howell III. The lesson in this story is this, no matter where you go in life you will always run into the same characters. It is better to learn to deal with them now before they lock you up in an abandoned prison.

When Visiting Hawaii Only Pick Up Trinkets From An Approved Gift Shop: For me the coolest thing about the Brady Bunch going to Hawaii was getting to see Marcia and Jan in bikini's. You have to understand, this was before HBO and before the internet, and my Mom wouldn't allow the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit edition into our home. You may recall the boys found a tiki on the job site where Mike Brady was working. It turns out that little statue caused Greg to get conked on the head while surfing. It made giant spider show up in the hotel room and I think it was the reason for Mike's bad perm. If they had just bought the little statue all would have been well. Instead they got to meet Vincent Price in a cave.

Hitler Probably Started Out As A Safety Monitor: I am sure the saying about absolute power corrupting absolutely would apply here.  Do you remember how much of a douche canoe Bobby got to be when they gave him that sash to wear? The same thing happened to SpongeBob Squarepants. I am thinking the sash of Safety Monitor is just too powerful for any mortal man or sea sponge to wear.  Fortunately for Bobby his desire to help a woman in distress turned out to be his undoing. He knew better than to go rescue that cat and  now he also knows to read the label on his clothes before he washes them.

All Problems Can Be Solved When You Put On A Show Or Form A Band: Do you need money for your parent's anniversary gift? Form a band and get on a TV show to win the prize money. Do you need a great history project on the Pilgrims? Get the family to build an elaborate set in the back yard and be sure cast the housekeeper as a man. All darn good ideas if you ask me. I can see why the Brady Bunch was never referred to as reality TV.

The concept for these musings was based on an article from Fox News. They actually have 18 ridiculous life lessons we learned from the Brady Bunch. I do hope you will check out what they had to say. Thanks for being so groovy and be sure to share your own Brady Bunch memories with a comment or two.