Transference of Emotions

What’s the 9-1-1

Happy Friday Golden Divas & Divos!!

Welcome to another glorious weekend that God has created. Let’s talk about ‘Transference of Emotions!’ The Fall lineup of shows is excellent this season.

Two of my favorites are Grey’s Anatomy and 911 (starring Angela Bassett). These shows usually tug at my heartstrings. I find myself shedding a few tears before the episode is over.

I guess it’s all good writing and the great actors that make you feel what the characters are feeling.

Last Monday, I caught 911, and it triggered a slew of emotions that I suppressed down for years. The show is filled with non-stop, life-changing emergencies, and this episode was no different. However, one particular occurrence took me back to an event that happened 25 years ago. I call it the ‘Transference of Emotion’ sequence. I say that because Transference occurs when a person redirects some of their feelings or desires for another person to an entirely different person.

Let me set up the scenario for you; thanks to Andy Swift of TV Line, I can share this devastating scenario.

*Hen found herself in an incredibly difficult position after accidentally mixing up two teenage girls involved in a devastating school parade gone wrong. After Eddie had to break the news of one girl’s death to the wrong parents, Hen was forced to inform everyone of the egregious errors.

Now, let that sink in; you were told that your child lived only to find out that they, in fact, died.

You can be infected with someone’s happiness or sadness. Researchers call this phenomenon emotional contagion (E.C.), in which one person’s emotions transfer to another. It involves all types of emotions, from angry, sad, and fearful to happy, enthusiastic, and joyful.

If you have never watched 911 before, this was the episode to watch. I was so invested in all of the characters that night. The two girls were best friends participating in a parade for their school (maybe Homecoming) sitting on a float, an out-of-control truck barreled through, hitting pedestrians, students, and a teacher.

One of the girl’s parents was there to share in the school festivities, while the other was not. In the end the parents that were there assumed that the girl that was still alive was their child. This was due because when the young girl was asked what is your name through all of the turmoil, she called out her friend’s name.

So, Hen, the paramedic, thought that was her name. Honest mistake. Right?! Okay, when the parents get to the hospital, they ask to see their daughter, happy that she is alive, and no matter what it takes, they will love her back to health. Mind you, her face is wrapped up in bandages due to her head injury. So, the parents assume this is their daughter when they see her.

When the other parents get to the hospital and are told that they lost their daughter, they are consoled by their friends, and at the moment, they are happy that one child has survived. However, it is not until they go and identify their daughter that they realize that their daughter is the one that is alive.

Happy to see that the other parents are told that an honest mistake has taken place and that their daughter is indeed the one who died.

I chose to talk about this because this episode triggered some suppressed emotions, as I mentioned earlier in this post. On January 22, 1996, my family and I experienced ‘Transference of Emotions’ when we were told that we could see my father in the room at the hospital.

In fact, he was in that particular room; however, he was dead. Our feelings went from whew, thank God he is alive, to what the hell? This is not making sense at all.

You can imagine our emotions were all over the place.

The power of ‘Transparence of Emotions’ is so real. Yes, you feel other people’s emotions, and yes, your feelings can go on a roller coaster ride with no stops from processing the highs and lows. When you’re experiencing a trauma such as this, it does something to your brain.

I remember how relieved and happy we were to get the news he was in okay and in the room. I forgot the number. Only to be hit with a Mack truck when we saw him in a body bag.

For years I tried to block that night out from my memory bank. Only to realize that it didn’t do me any good to do so. As we know, life is too short, and we have to cherish one another daily. COVID has taught us that all too well.

Okay, now back to Monday’s 911 episode, they brought memories of the past to the forefront. Although I had trained myself not to feel when watching a T.V. show, movie, or even a play, I have recently relinquished my feelings while enduring these influential shows.

Hey, who knows? It may be menopause getting me all emotional; whatever it is, I’m grateful that I can share this post with you, and to tell you, it’s not healthy to keep things bottled up inside.

My message for you this week is to release and let go. No matter what the situation is going on in your life. Share your thoughts and feelings. I am.

9-1-1 | Watch New Episodes Mondays at 8/7c on FOX

This is a great show to watch, and Angela and all of the cast deliver weekly.