4 Things I've Learned from Barry Allen

6:00 AM

Confession time: I love The Flash.

I'm not usually such a big fan of DC related stuff, but when I started watching it (not really sure why, I just wanted to find a new show cause I hadn't watched one in ages) I could not stop. It's so good. I'm almost done with season two right now. In my eyes, the plot has stayed spectacular. Season one was absolutely brilliant, and season two was right on its heels.

But what makes this show so special? I was pondering that as I watched late into the night. Good books keep me up till crazy hours. TV shows rarely do. So what was it about this one?

What is it about The Flash?

At some point in season two, it finally hit me.

I couldn't stop watching the show because I related so much to the main character.

Now, I knew this all along. But something happened in season two (I won't say because #spoilers) that made me realize, I didn't just like Barry. I connected with him. Deeply.

And that's what made all the difference. Liking a character is really good, but when you connect with a character, there's a new level of "hook". You need to keep watching or reading. You need to stay with this story, because this character holds answers for you.

I've learned a lot from the character Barry Allen, but here are four things I'd like to share with you today. 



1. People can be angry and still love you.

One thing about this show is that it models a lot of healthy relationships. None of them are perfect, of course, but Barry has a lot of people he can go to. He has a lot of people that care about him, and they care about him enough to call him out when he's made a mistake.

At the beginning of season two, Barry tries to isolate himself because he feels responsible for some severe things from season one. And his friends honor his wishes and keep away ... for a while. But they soon realize he's not going to forgive himself, so they need to be there for him. Even if it means doing what he doesn't necessarily want.


2. The weight of the world doesn't belong on your shoulders. 

That's another big one. Barry takes the full responsibility of everything that happens that's connected to him. People die? It's his fault. A building is destroyed? All his doing. And he's constantly beating himself up about if only I was better and if only I was faster then, of course, none of this would have happened.


3. Your loved ones are there and you need to talk to them.

Barry is really good about sharing stuff with those who he loves and those who love him. When he gets down or feels ultra responsible, he tries to shoulder it all on himself. But that never lasts very long before he's going to Joe or Iris or Wells, asking for advice.

One of the devil's favorite tactics is to isolate you. He wants to make you feel alone and vulnerable. And if you don't hold onto your friends, if you don't reach out and open yourself up to them, his attack will succeed.

Don't let that be the case.


4. Even though you've messed up, you don't have to despair.

Barry is far from perfect. He makes a lot of mistakes, some of which result in very serious consequences. But there's a turning point in the series when he finally realizes, yes, I messed up. Yes, this was my fault. Yes, I could have done better. But I didn't. I messed things up this time, and there's nothing I can do about it. But I can change the future. I can put all my energy from being upset about this to making an effort towards that never happening again. Then I'll actually make a difference.

I don't know about you guys, but that really hit home with me. Watching him let go of the guilt ... he wasn't blameless, but he was able to let the guilt go. He was able to free himself from that heavy burden, with the help of his friends.

We mess up. We make mistakes. But Jesus has given us the chance to let go of all of that. We can move on. We can move forward.

We just have to let go.


I know this isn't really writing related, but I hope you enjoyed this post all the same! If you want something that is writing related and written by yours truly, go check out my guest post on the lovely Savannah's blog! You should totally check out all she's got going on over there. It's awesome!

Have you ever watched The Flash? What do you think of Barry Allen, and what have you learned from him? Are there any other characters in fiction that you've deeply connected with?

<3

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9 comments

  1. Ahhh I need to watch this show! I've been meaning to but... *sigh* I'LL GO WATCH IT NOW SO I CAN TALK TO YOU ABOUT IT. :) Anyway, these are some wonderful lessons to learn, and you wrote about them so well. <3 <3 <3 I'm still in the process of learning some of these, but hey, life is all about learning! Thanks for this post, lovely. *hugs*

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    1. Yasss please watch it so we can flail together!! And dude, right? I know these things are true, but applying them is a little more difficult

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  2. First Reaction: OH NO, DC!!!! *plays Avengers theme over and over*
    Second Reaction: But Barry is great....!!

    I learned from him that I'm not as fast as I like to pretend I am. :) But we all make mistakes, and the best way to fix it is to apologize and do our best to not make them again, and rather to learn from them.

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    Replies
    1. LOL. Yeah, I'm normally against DC but The Flash is just so ... *swoons* And yes to what you've learned from him! <3 I like how you put that.

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  3. I love the Flash, I relate more to Caitlin.

    Barry is awesome though.

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    Replies
    1. Caitlin is such a relatable character! She's very grounded and real, and she's been through so much *hugs her because SHE NEEDS ALL THE HUGS*

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  4. I've seen a little bit of The Flash and I've enjoyed it so far, but I haven't watched any of it lately. Maybe I'll get back to it once I get caught up on Arrow. I do love Barry.

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    1. Ah yes DO IT. It's so goooood. Barry is SO CUTE AH.

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  5. I've only managed to watch season 1 but I LOVE BARRY. Also Cisco (he's so adorably geeky/dorky). (I couldn't believe when it looked like he was... you know... not coming back.) But they're all just so sweet!
    *screams at library to get the next seasons*
    Jem Jones

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