What I Learned from Lynn Searcy

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Enter Lynn: Lynn Searcy is the free-spirited, uninhibited Girlfriend of the group.  She was a long time friend of Joan and Toni's, as the three of them were roommates in college.  Since then, she lived with Joan for eight years, figuring out her place in life by immersing herself in the arts and avoiding the everyday hassles of the real world.  She's artistic, very spiritual, and drawn to other spiritual beings who have a passion for music and the arts.  Though Lynn may appeared to be the most liberated of the group, she often felt lost and in search of who she was as an individual.  She eventually credited this to being adopted and not knowing who her biological parents were.  As seasons progressed, Lynn met her biological mother, and began to figure out who she was and what she wanted in life.  This led to her finding her own place, following her own destiny, and finally getting signed to a record label as a musician.

How I identify with Lynn:  Like Lynn, I consider myself to be multi-faceted. This is a quality that society usually sees as being scatter-brained.  If the funds permitted, I would probably be a student forever and obtain five degrees just like Lynn! Maybe....  Like Lynn, I am drawn to other artistic individuals, namely those who love music and literature as much as I do.  I can draw for hours from others who bask in culture.  While Lynn may have been more free with her sexuality than I, I can definitely appreciate how in touch she was with it.  She never let society's ideals and constraints mar her need to have as many partners as she so desired.  Lynn was comfortable with who she was, never tried to be anyone but Lynn, and never judged others who were not living as she was.  I admired that most about her.

Below are five things I learned from Lynn Ann Searcy throughout the show's tenure:

1. You can't keep running forever:  Sometimes, especially in earlier seasons, it appeared as though Lynn was running.  She was running from responsibility.  Sure she had plenty of education, but she had no clear goals about her future.  So while all of her other girlfriends lived in the real world, clocking hours and paying bills, Lynn became a resident of Joan's (and later William's and Maya's) couch.  After much tough love from her friends and an epiphany about her future, Lynn soon got tired of running and ventured out into the unknown.

2. Less worry = less stress.  One thing I could admire about Lynn's character was her carefree attitude.  There was rarely a time when Lynn let anything bother her to the point of worry and frustration.  On the surface it may look like Lynn simply avoided conflict and responsibility, but many could learn a lesson from this behavior.  Never sweat the small stuff!  But by all means, don't be like Lynn and create a conspiracy theory to  excuse yourself from handling personal responsibilities.

3. Women are free to embrace their sexuality however they see fit.  As I mentioned before, Lynn was seen as being the promiscuous one of the group.  While Joan was busy implementing a three-month rule (which meant no sex for the first three months of a relationship) and Maya was often criticizing Lynn for embracing casual sex, Lynn viewed sex as another form of liberation.  She often shared her many trysts lightheartedly with her other girlfriends, as they gasped, shocked and appalled.  Though I agreed that Lynn was a bit wild for my taste, I thought highly of her for owning her sexuality.  Lynn embraced her sexuality as she saw fit, rather than using it as bait for another, or a way to control another, as many women have done over time.  I was even more impressed when she researched sexuality in society and thus completed a project involving AIDS in the African American female population.

4. Sometimes the apple doesn't fall far from the tree.  But they are not one in the same.  In a quest to find inspiration while completing a documentary (in which Lynn believes to be her life's work), Lynn makes plans to visit her estranged biological mother.  In visiting Sandy, Lynn learns that her biological mother is much like she is-- overly sexual, flighty, and great at avoiding conflict (or people, for that matter).  As Lynn observes all of her mother's unfinished projects and abandoned bright ideas, she begins to think that she will never see her passions through either.  But after some soul-searching and encouraging words from dear Toni, Lynn finishes her documentary and it makes a huge impact on the community.  Way to go, Lynn!

5. There's much more to intimacy than sex.  In one episode of Girlfriends, I was surprised to see a very intimate side of Lynn.  In this particular episode, Lynn falls for a poet who is celibate.  While I believed that  Lynn would not be able to forge a relationship with someone without sex due to her past of sex without relationships, she fell for this man hard.  And instead of a sexual exchange, the two became spiritually connected by their love of art and poetic expression.  It was such a beautiful thing!

How did you feel about Lynn's character? 
Could you relate to her? 
Could you see yourself being friends with her?  Why or why not?

Thank you so much for all of your feedback on my posts about Joan,  Maya, and Toni.  I see that many of you had very strong opinions about Toni in particular!  If you haven't gotten a chance to check out the other posts and their accompanying episodes, please click the links within the names and check them out.

In all, who is your favorite Girlfriend from the hit TV sitcom?  
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