It’s a new year but I’m here to hit you with a healthy dose of nostalgia! Happy New Year beautiful people! It’s my birthday today and I’m super grateful for my life. I look at myself now and know my 20-year-old self would be proud of me.
Over the years, I’ve come to understand not only the value of friendship and relationships but also their intricacies. People grow and evolve either for good or bad. Along the line, you lose some, get left by some, and gain some- it’s life’s journey. Nonetheless, we all need friends and a support system. Humans are social beings, not islands.
When Ships Sail
I had a conversation with my sister recently and we were talking about the ships; friendship, relationship and their grand master, marriage.
“Remember Pinky and the Brain?”, I asked. “Of course”, she replied. So I continued, “Do you remember how Pinky was the crazy, silly sanguine who never paid attention to Brain’s antics but stood by him all through his absurd plans?”
And then we went on to have this long and insightful conversation, exploring the lessons on friendships and relationships that Pinky and the Brain offer when viewed from an adult perspective.
We’re taking only the positives from this 90s animated series so forget about how harshly Brain treated Pinky most times. He was the insane one after all, so I implore you to not put this at the forefront of this post.
Sailing Towards Understanding
I mentioned earlier that Brain was the insane one and it wasn’t a mistake. If you watched the show, you’d know this from the theme song and after watching several episodes. Here’s verse 1 of the theme song anyway;
They’re Pinky and the Brain
Yes, Pinky and the Brain
One is a genius, the other’s insane
They’re laboratory mice
Their genes have been spliced
They’re dinky
They’re Pinky and the Brain, Brain, Brain, Brain, Brain, Brain, Brain, Brain
Brain!
Going by the theme song and a surface-level understanding of the series, I easily concluded at the time that Pinky was insane and Brain was the genius. I was only 8-10 years old at the time so that’s expected. However, upon rewatching it in my 20s, I quickly realized that the reverse was the case.
Now, let’s explore this not-so-new understanding of Pinky and the Brain’s friendship or relationship;
- Emotional Intelligence Will Save You Stress– Pinky handled Brain maturely. Pay no mind to the occasional smacks he received from Brain, I believe that was theatrical to emphasize Brain’s insanity and egotistical nature. He knew when to ignore Brain and shut down parts of his crazy ideas without rubbing it in his face.
- The Loudest In The Room Isn’t Always Right– Brain threw lots of big words around. Oh my! He sounded intelligent but if you listened closely, it was mostly jargons. It’s just like what we have on social media today; there’s so much noise from people who have nothing to offer and with little to no substance.
- The Fire and Ice Mix– Without Pinky’s ice, Brain’s fire would have gotten them killed and this happened in almost every episode. Pinky had a way of slowing Brain down whenever his obsession with conquering the world spiraled into overdrive. That balance was crucial to their survival.
- A Captain Needs A Crew– Brain was obviously the leader of the duo because he swung into action and was always ready to risk it all. Pinky never had a power tussle with him because he understood that two captains cannot be on one ship. No position is useless because they all work together for a common goal.
- Self Confidence Is Key– Pinky was no pushover. He knew his capabilities even though he acted silly which was his natural disposition. He didn’t see the need to want to be like Brain which exuded self confidence. On the one occasion that they switched roles, Pinky almost took over the world with his own solutions to Brain’s problems.
Anchoring Our Bonds
I know you replayed scenarios from certain situations in your ships and asked yourself some questions as you read through- I did the same.
The main questions for me are;
“Do I always want to be heard and not listen?”
“Is there balance and mutual respect in my friendships or relationship?”
Tell me, what questions ran through your mind as you read? Also, what lessons do you recall from the series if you watched it when you were younger or in recent times?
You know I love to hear from you so feel free to share your thoughts with me in the comments section.
Stay well!
