Anyone from my generation is familiar with the TV series, The Brady Bunch. I am no exception. I grew up watching the show and its subsequent follow-up movies, specials, variety shows and reruns. I learned a few life lessons along the way. For example, I learned about the term and concept of Caveat Emptor or "let the buyer beware" by watching the episode (ironically enough) called The Wheeler-Dealer. In the episode, Greg gets his driver's license and buys his first car, a 1956 Chevrolet Bel Air convertible, from a slick-talking friend. But all the restoration in the world can't change the fact that the car is a piece of junk. Greg plans on selling the car to a gullible friend, but has a change of heart and sells it to a junk yard instead.
And of course who could forget this episode?
In my quest to read twenty books in 2013 I came across a book I bought a few years ago but never got around to reading. The book, Here's The Story is an autobiography of Maureen McCormick aka Marcia Brady. Subtitled - Surviving Marcia Brady and Finding My True Voice, Here's The Story deals with the familiar themes of fame, family, addiction, depression, love, faith, and self-acceptance.
Maureen writes with an openness and transparency that is admirable. I for one appreciated her candor even though there were a few times when I found my credulity being stretched. Despite the fact that she went into the "gory details" of her life, I never felt like she was trying to be salacious, just honest. In fact, I think the book itself was a form of therapy for her, a means of catharsis in dealing with her past.
The book is divided into four parts. In Part 1, we learn all about Maureen's background and early family life. Here she details some of the dysfunctional childhood she experienced. McMormick reveals that her mother and her grandmother both suffered from the effects of syphilis, and her grandmother eventually died because of the consequences of the disease. Maureen spent much of her life in fear that somehow the syphilis had been passed on to her. Maureen's father can only be described as eccentric and borderline abusive. She had three brothers, the oldest Michael, seems to have escaped the dysfunction of the rest of the family, while brother Kevin, is portrayed as a controlling, psychotic, drug addict that to this day is consumed by conspiracy theories. Her brother Denny is mentally handicapped.
Part 1 also deals with her early acting career and her auditions to become Marcia Brady. Here is where she also deals with life on and off the set as a Brady. She confirms many of the things I had heard or read in other forums about the cast, and some things I didn't know. For example, who knew that Eve Plumb liked to walk around in the dressing room unclothed and passing gas?
Part 2 deals with Maureen's life after The Brady Bunch as a famous but typecast teen-twenty something with access to drugs and other vices. While Maureen is remembered as the sunny, always perfect Marcia Brady, her personal life was anything but sunny, or perfect. Maureen goes into painful detail as she discusses her struggles with bulimia, sexual promiscuity and an addiction to cocaine. This part of the book is tough to read, because she spares no detail into describing this time of her life. As I said before, I think this section is meant to be confessional and it also serves to separate her from the character of Marcia Brady.
It is in this section that she also shares with us about her spiritual awakening. It all started when she was invited to attend a Vineyard Christian Fellowship in Santa Monica by one of her Brady Brides costars. It seems the Santa Monica Vineyard had a good size contingent of people from Hollywood attending. She immediately felt comfortable there. Her regular attendance would eventually lead to a "spiritual experience." It was through this experience that she would begin her long road to victory over her various addictions. It was also through the Vineyard that she would meet her future husband, Michael Cummings.
Part 3 deals with her early marriage and struggles with depression, while Part 4 deals with her life after coming to terms with herself and Marcia Brady, and also discovering Prozac. She also comes to terms with her relationship with her mother, who very tragically dies of cancer under very disturbing circumstances involving Maureen's father and brother Kevin. This part of the story truly broke my heart.
Only two people in Maureen's life seemed to have had the stability that Marureen needed, ironically both of them named Mike (her brother and her husband). The one person that seemed to have his act together the most was her husband Michael Cummings. Throughout the book he appears as a steady and VERY patient influence in her life. He is what many people would call a saint. And, although it isn't stated explicitly, it is implied throughout that he was/is a man of faith.
The book has two long sections of photographs. They run the gamut from McCormick's childhood, to the Brady Bunch and post-Brady Bunch years, to the present. When looking through the pictures you can see a sadness and vacancy in her eyes during the worst of times and a sunny, almost Marica Brady like sparkle in her most recent photos. It would seem, that she finally has found her true voice.
Finally, as I read the book, I was reminded of several truths that I know all too well because of my own experiences as a pastor, son, father and husband.
First, I was reminded that nobody's life is perfect. The grass may be greener on the other side of the fence, but that's just because you can't see the whole yard. There are weeds and gopher holes and other dry spots that are not clear to the visible eye. Most importantly, the neighbor is going crazy trying to keep his grass green, wishing he had your yard! We often pedestalize celebrities and dream of having their lives, when in reality, they are just as painful and dysfunctional as ours, and sometimes more!
Second, I was reminded that it is okay to be human. It's not like we have a choice anyway. If you spend your life worrying about what other people think of you and trying to present a certain image that is not really you, you will be miserable.
Third, I was reminded that you can choose your friends, but you can't choose your family. All families have issues. Love them or hate them, they are yours. While there are times when you have to separate from them in order to protect yourself, you must always love them, warts and all.
I enjoyed the book and highly recommend it.
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