Imagine walking down a street–suburban, city, rural. Kids are playing hide-and-seek, tag, hopscotch, or riding bikes, jumping rope. The sing-song of children’s chants mixes with traffic noise and the smell of lasagna or sausage or vegan fare wafting through open windows, and mothers yelling “Johnny!” or “Susan!” to come in to wash up for dinner.
“Aw gee mom, just one more game, just one more inning.”
“Your mother said now,” says gruff-voiced father, as he carries the trash out to the curb.
“Awww, okay. See ya later, Tommy! Bye guys.”/ ”Aww, okay, bye Tammy.”
Through the curtained windows of most houses, you might see the glow of a television for the rest of the evening and deep into the night. In some, you might see three or four glowing rooms. In many others, the glow never fades, like nuclear waste. It glows and glows day after day, decade after decade.
In fact, you’ve probably seen that scene described above….. on TV.
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Imagine another scenario:
On that curb, all up and down the block, all over the neighborhood, piled high in every lot, on every corner, overflowing in every garbage can is the television. Many televisions. EVERY television.
Idyllic scene turned fantasy turned lunacy! What!? No television! Say it ain’t so, Joe!
* * * * *
I actually don’t wish for an end to television. It has its place. It’s the media tool of the 20th and 21st centuries, perhaps rivaled only by the telephone, or personal computer, maybe even the cellular phone. It’s been in our lives for many important events. . . .
It has helped us through crises, inspired us to help others, motivated us to exercise, to buy, to shop, buy shop buyshopbuyshop, and to watch watch watch for hours gone by oh look at the time I’m going to be tired for work/school/church tomorrow, damn, 3 am!! you’re absolutely sh*ttin’ me! go home my beer-drunk-snoring-friend, off my couch, I’ve gotta sleep, I have a test/a meeting/an important something or other that I’m screwed for tomorrow!
But I no longer watch television. And my life is infinitely richer without it.
Television: that once glowing tube, that now flat-panel 30 – 60 – 100 inch behemoth, as the case may be.
(I also only barely have a cellular phone, and I know my life is better off without one. I don’t ever have to worry about slamming into a pole while walking.)
But I’m no Luddite. I like my electronic gadgets, my toys. I’m interested in technology. But I’m infinitely happier without television, commercials, television programming, even cable and pay per view. My life is fuller, more complete, and happier than those who watch a lot of television.
Am I just an anomaly? I don’t think so. I’m not starting a movement. I’m not following a movement either. I’m just following my instincts.
There comes a time when someone, anyone, has to say enough. Enough of all the things television brings you that you don’t want, don’t need, can’t stop, and all the crap that dries up your mind and makes you a mindless robot, a motivationless zombie. There is a reason they call it being a “couch potato.” So I say, enough.
Enough of what, you say? That’s what I hope this blog will show you.
“But what do you DO if you don’t watch television?” That’s what the rest of this blog is about. Tune in, every day, to find out.
“LIVE, it’s every night!” (with apologies to SNL)
Life without TV. For a happier world. For a happier you
Vinnie:
Great to see your blog.
I’ve pretty much trimmed my TV viewing to either NCIS or Criminal Minds .. an hour a night. Except at work where there’s the constant drone of CNN in the background.
I’m all for more creative uses of ones time, so I’ll be checking back here.
N
Topaz! You’ve posted the first comment! Thanks! Hope you enjoy it. Stay tuned for more.