current events

Out of bounds

by Karen Granger | The Good News | June 30th 2009
Tags: faith, Joshua Morrow, Nicholas Newman, The Young and the Restless

Joshua Morrow, who plays Nicholas Newman on “The Young and the Restless,” may not set healthy boundaries on TV, but at one recent local event, he drew a line and set an example every woman can learn from.

While eating lunch with eight girlfriends, I looked around the table and realized our ages spanned five decades. But this multi-generational group had something in common – we had all been hooked on the daytime drama “The Young and the Restless” at some point in our lives.

As a believer, I’m embarrassed to admit that I once watched the show, because “The Young and the Restless” doesn’t exactly support godly values – and in some cases glorifies sinful behavior. But, at one time, my girlfriends and I had all been fans.

Soon after that lunch, I learned that CBS Actor Joshua Morrow, from “The Young and the Restless,” would be appearing at the Miromar Outlet Mall in Bonita Springs. Although I’m no longer a devoted fan of the show, my friend Ida is, so I decided to take her on a road trip to meet him.

Ida’s a lively 80-something-year-old woman who loves “Y&R,” and we both love the opportunity to hit the Miromar Outlet Mall. As a journalist, I was able to book an interview with the star, so we headed westward, excited for our own personal meet-and-greet. Instead, I learned a timeless life lesson for all women, no matter their age.

There were hundreds of women in line to meet the actor, pose for a photo and get an autograph. The energy from the giddy girlie fest permeated throughout the sprawling outlet center. The event organizers fashioned the occasion to keep the gals in an orderly queue.

One by one, the ladies stepped up to take their turn shaking Mr. Morrow’s hand, posing for a picture and getting an autograph. Each meet-and-greet took a matter of seconds – shake … “cheese” … thank you ... shake … “cheese” … thank you. And so it went for hours.

At one point, a delighted fan approached the celeb for her photo opportunity.

Just before the camera clicked, she got up on her tip-toes, turned her head towards the statuesque celeb and began to plant a kiss on his cheek.

Immediately, Mr. Morrow straightened his tall frame and said quite firmly, “Hey, hey now, none of that!”

His response nipped the kiss in the bud and caused an awkward moment of silence to ripple through the formerly giddy crowd. There was a palpable gasp amongst the fans.

The grimaces on faces seemed to say, “Ouch, that was a little abrupt. What’s the harm of a friendly kiss on the cheek?”

Yet, after digesting what had taken place and interviewing the star privately for about 20 minutes, I realized that this extremely professional young man did something quite admirable, something that’s rarely seen today.

He set a clear boundary.

That’s right—he set a clear boundary and set the tone that this was not going to be a huggy-kissy fest.

He didn’t open the door for lovey-dovey photos and prevented taking any inappropriate photos that he wouldn’t be proud to show his wife, children or even his employer, the CBS network. What he did show was respect for his often disrespected profession, as well as marking a boundary that his wife and young sons could be proud of.

I have no idea where this young actor stands when it comes to faith or morals, yet I was impressed to see a celebrity mark a clear boundary we can all learn from. After all, in today’s world, boundaries are often hazy or extinct.

Once, I worked for a ministry where male and female staff members were strictly forbidden from riding in a car alone, eating lunch alone or going anywhere without a third party. At first, I thought that seemed harsh. What would be so wrong with me picking up a male friend on staff from the airport?

But soon I understood how these situations could open up doors to invite bonding that can lead to inappropriate intimacy. Lesson learned: It’s always healthiest to have clear boundaries at the workplace.

In our self-indulgent culture, it seems like everyone supports an “anything goes” attitude. But, it was a good reminder for Ida and I that clear boundaries lead to respectful, healthy relationships.

Who’d a thunk that I’d get such a lesson from such a hunk?

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