In the past couple of days, after Mary Tyler Moore’s death, I have been hearing about how much she influenced the women and girls at the time. I feel as if it’s some inside joke that I wasn’t a part of, but it’s  not a joke, she affected women deeply, being a guy, I didn’t know. I’ve watched so many women tv reporters and anchors speak of how she showed them how they could make it on their own. How they would be strong and single and do their own thing. Even Oprah Winfrey, the queen of it all was influenced by Mary.

A friend wrote on Facebook of how she felt the first time she moved from Queens to Manhattan on her own, as she drove over the 59th Street Bridge, she was crying, tears of emotion and joy, and she had Mary on her mind as she made her way to her new life! Amazing.

I enjoyed the show, I don’t think I missed an episode. Saturday night was Mary Tyler Moore night along with Bob Newhart, Carol Burnett and All in the Family and of course I have always enjoyed the Dick Van Dyke reruns. I enjoyed Mary because she was funny and her shows were well written and funny, but I admire her so much more now for seeing how she influenced so many women over the years. I didn’t even know it. I didn’t know how important she was to young women everywhere.

I always had her up there with Lucille Ball and Carol Burnett, but now I see her in a different light.