The Twilight Zone Inspiration: Spur of the Moment

A Vintage Nerd, The Twilight Zone, Spur of the Moment, 1960s TV Shows, Rod Serling, Twilight Zone Inspiration, Classic Television

Spur of the Moment focuses on a character named Anne Marie Mitchell who we meet first in 1939 and then again 1964. Anne comes across as a rich, privileged girl who has every whim catered to by her parents. She has broken up with a sweetheart that her father didn't approve of and is engaged to a man that he does approve of. You can tell that Anne is torn between the two men and making her parents happy.

One day while Anne is out riding her horse she notices a woman in black riding a horse behind her screaming at her. It terrifies Anne because she doesn't know who that old and angry woman in is. Suddenly the screen makes these funny waves and we travel from 1939 to 1964. We meet Anne 25 years later and she is now in her 40's and is a raging alcoholic. But how did that innocent girl become the angry, bitter woman that she is now?

You find out through flashbacks that Anne ran away to marry the sweetheart that her family didn't approve of. She thought she was following her heart and marrying the love of her life but the truth is he gambled away all her fortune and they grew to despise each other. Anne blames her parents for her bad decision making skills and for her "spur of the moment" marriage to David which led her down a path of misery and regret. Later that day the older Anne goes for a ride and finds her younger self riding. She screams out her name hoping to warn her from making the mistake that she felt destroyed their lives.

When I first saw this episode I remember feeling shocked that the romantic getaway Anne makes with her "true love" ended up bringing her such deep unhappiness. I am now the age the older Anne is and when I see this episode now I can see how much naivety and innocence there was when she decides to run off with David. But I also see now how easy it is for us to blame everyone else for our mistakes and how we can fall into the trap of playing the blame game.

I think that if you watch this episode you might be reminded that we shouldn't live stuck in our past or live out our lives with regret. We should try and take full responsibility for our own choices and if we are unhappy we should make the changes we need to in the present in order for us to find happiness again.

Unfortunately for Anne she doesn't own up to her "spur of the moment" mistake or take responsibility for the life that she had made but instead lives out the rest of her days in deep regret chasing herself hoping that she could change her past.

A Vintage Nerd, The Twilight Zone, Spur of the Moment, 1960s TV Shows, Rod Serling, Twilight Zone Inspiration, Classic Television

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