19 years ago, "Sex and the City" premiered on HBO and Carrie Bradshaw was introduced to the world. Sarah Jessica Parker played the role of a female journalist, documenting her life of love, friends and fashion in New York City in a weekly column in the New York Star. Based on Candace Bushnell's novel of the same name, women everywhere found solace in Carrie and her group of girlfriends as they navigated through their 30s. I'll never forget the first time I snuck in the room when my mom had "SATC" on and seeing Carrie type away on her laptop in that perfect studio apartment, thinking to myself, "I probably shouldn't be watching this, but I like it." Based on my age when it first aired and the constant talk about sex, I didn't get to watch the series until years past its run, but I still had an incredible connection with the show, and specifically, with Bradshaw. She was the first female journalist I saw depicted on screen and it fascinated me. Carrie Bradshaw was a great example of someone who wrote what she knew and who did it well, which inspired me to keep writing and appreciate the craft's validity. I owe a lot to the Manolo Blahnik queen. So thank you, Carrie Bradshaw, for teaching me the following:
A good group of girlfriends is priceless.
Carrie may have payed top dollar for a dream designer closet (for real, that wardrobe is legendary), but making time to sit down with your friends, talk about your lives, and truly invest in building relationships with people who love and support you is worth so much more than your Prada. Carrie, Miranda, Charlotte, and Samantha proved that you'll go through rough times, you won't always agree on your choices involving men, or Brooklyn, but the power of women's friendship is impervious. Just like Carrie, I find myself so proud, amazed, and entertained by my friends, and sometimes they make the best stories.
It's OK to talk about... you know...
I connect with this more now that I've re-watched the series as a woman in the "dating-scene" where it's prevalent. It's OK to talk about your sex life, the topics out of your comfort zone, and to put yourself and your needs first. Not only is it OK to talk about it, but it's plenty OK to write about it. My weekly articles don't typically divulge into the inner-workings of my dating life, but with watching the success of publications like Cosmopolitan Magazine and hearing women to this day reference "SATC" episodes per their own escapades proves there are women and men who want to talk about sex and dating and I now feel comfortable opening up about it when the topic arises.
Women journalists are fierce and important.
The biggest takeaway from "SATC" isn't the the outfits or ending up with your own Mr. Big, but it's that Carrie Bradshaw built a career writing what she knows, being herself, and being celebrated for it. She was the first woman journalist that I saw become successful on her own merit. This was important, and it is still important, to keep inspiring young writers. While building a career in journalism is a process in and of itself, there is nothing like finding your niche and running with it. My Odyssey articles are far from a column in the New York Star, but thanks to Carrie, I might just find my way there.
