Psst. Hear that? It’s the Sex and the City theme song: that xylophonic do-do-do-do; do-do-do-do . . . aaahhh. And what happens next? We see a tutu-clad Carrie Bradshaw walking the streets of New York City and getting splashed by a moving bus driving through a puddle. Plastered on the side of that bus is a gigantic promotional poster that displays the sexy Bradshaw herself, with the caption: Carrie Bradshaw Knows Good Sex. This is how we first met Carrie Bradshaw. This is the moment Sex and the City became must-see, Sunday night TV.
And it’s about to be must-watch TV once again!
Filmed over six seasons in New York City, Sex and the City was one of the most popular television series of its time. We related to at least one of the fab four friends (if not all of them), felt the eclectic vibe of New York City, and so identified with those authentic dating-scenario depictions. We connected with Carrie, a sex columnist, who philosophized about the Manhattan dating scene in her newspaper column, asking the heart-felt questions while drawing upon her own dating experiences and those of her girlfriends. Her stories became our stories, and vice versa.
As such, we too eventually befriended Carrie’s three girlfriends: the self-sufficient and sexually adventurous Samantha; the cynical and headstrong Miranda; and the idealistic and naive Charlotte. We then accompanied the gal pals throughout their experiences of love, betrayal, joy, career woes and fashion do’s and don’ts.
In our own relationships, we found ourselves asking: What would Carrie do? And the answer always led to some adventurous solution.
And so, with New York City just about back on its feet; back in the New York groove. With Paris, London, L.A., Chicago, Miami and other cities across the U.S.A. just about back on their feet too. With the world re-opening to brighter days and almost at an all-time stiletto high, what would Carrie Bradshaw have to say about living in a post-pandemic world?
Carrie would remind us about the time when she became “fashion roadkill” (doing a face plant on the runway) during New York Fashion Week. Carrie would also remind us of what she did then: she got up, brushed herself off, smiled and moved onward, taking with her the lesson she was supposed to learn: To just be her authentic herself.
With Carrie Bradshaw’s can-do, get-up-and-go attitude in mind, here are five tips that Ms. Bradshaw would want us to embrace in our post-pandemic world.
1. Make Personal Stability a Priority
Carrie Bradshaw has said, ”[b]eauty is fleeting, but a rent-controlled apartment overlooking the park is forever.” Words to literally live by. But what about those of us without a rent-controlled apartment? We need to find what keeps us grounded and build upon that.
The pre-pandemic Carrie, being the shoe-addict that she was, would shoe-shop, while at the same time satisfying her other addiction: hanging out with her girlfriends. Now, the post-pandemic Carrie still hangs out with her friends, but is going shoeless at home. In lockdown, Carrie learned that she’s more than her shoe collection – she can experience joy by going barefoot, at home in the company of her friends. Joined also by some bubbly, of course.
2. Keep an Optimistic Attitude
Having a positive attitude goes a long way. For Carrie this is essential. By doing so, she transmutes her otherwise heart-crushing, soul-eviscerating experiences into more humorous, light-hearted ones.
Pre-Pandemic Carrie once said: “I like my money where I can see it – hanging in my closet.” What would post-pandemic Carrie say? I like having a savings account where I can hear the cha ching on interest accruing. Carrie is still able to cozy up with her sole mates and connect with her fashionista, badass side, all the while having some coins in a savings account. Now that’s sexy!
We too can easily follow in Ms. Bradshaw’s footsteps, having our bling in the bank and hanging in our closets at the same time.
3. Walk the City
Manolo Blahnik. Jimmy Choo. Prada. Dolce & Gabbana. Just some of Carrie’s other friends with whom she walks the streets while living in Manhattan. Carrie gets outside and walks her city; struts in its sunshine.
We too can experience that Sex and the City swank by flirting with the Manhattan skyline, flaunting our confidence and stripping down to bare, minimalistic outdoor living.
4. Counterbalance Digital and In-Person Activities
Carrie knows that we can have balance but just not all the time, in every moment of every day. We should, perhaps, seek balance as Carrie does: by embracing hybrid-living (where the virtual and in-person worlds live harmoniously together, sharing their spaces equally).
As Carrie knows and we ourselves know, it’s all about connection, connection, connection!
5. Bring Sexy Back the Smart Way
Knowledge is power; being smart is seductive. Would Mr. Big agree with this assessment? Yes, and he would say in that sexy, cool monotone voice of his: “Abso-effin’-lutely.”
During lockdown, Carrie took the time to put the fashion magazines aside, slowed down and picked up some hefty books (and not just for using them as door stoppers). Carrie delved deep into reading, fiction and non-fiction alike. And now Carrie’s back in action: smarter than before, more fashionably sexy and simply unstoppable, no matter her shoe apparel.
Much like CB, we too can be stronger and sassier than ever before. Ms. Bradshaw’s approach can also be our approach, and become the winning trifecta for 2021: boldly basking in beauty, brains and balance (a/k/a financial stability)!
By Suzanne Dooley
