The passing of Cindy Williams this week has us all up in our feels — personally, I’m mourning the loss of “now” two of my fave actresses and revisiting childhood dreams of independence and self-reliance… now realized… thanks to Laverne & Shirley.
I was introduced to Laverne DeFazio (Penny Marshall) and Shirley Feeney (Cindy Williams) when they first appeared on Happy Days in the 70s — having escaped Hungary in 1956 when he was 19 and identifying as a “greaser” at the time, it was one of my Dad’s favorite sitcoms.
And then Laverne & Shirley scored a spin-off airing right after Happy Days — so, every Tuesday night, I’d make sure to finish my homework by 8 pm and then camp out in front of our television console with a can of Pepsi (hold the milk) and dream about getting out on myown one day.
You see, I wanted to be Laverne (I could sew an “L” on my stuff and get away with it… and maybe I did… shuddup!) but I identified more with Shirley… blue-collared, strait-laced, a little sheltered, spilling her most intimate thoughts into her diary… but don’t think you can walk all over her… I mean us… Shirley taught me how to unshrink and unhide… and to stand up for myself.
Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to grab a can of Pepsi and start streaming 6 seasons of Laverne & Shirley… while schlemiel-ing and schlimazel-ing my way through goals for 2023 and beyond… grateful for childhood idols like Cindy and Penny… may they rest in power.
Where is it streaming?
oh so much this!! thank you for sharing what so many of us are feeling right now....