I don’t have a TV. I possess one, but it’s not connected to cable service. It’s a perfect situation for watching DVDs. Having a TV was too distracting, and once the darn thing was on, it was too easy to get glued to any silly program. There’s not been one minute when I’ve been the odd one out because of not watching a current reality show. And there’s not been one minute when I’ve pined away for a TV show. It’s been an experiment, and the experiment worked. If you want to know how rewarding it can be, simply unplug.
In the past, when we’d rent a house for the summer, there’d be no TV. It was amusing to see my children’s faces as they ran throughout the house, looking and looking and not finding one, and still not believing there wasn’t one, until they heard the words, “You’re right. There’s no TV.” Wow! – what alarmed expressions. This is the interesting part, within a few days they easily adjusted. There was a chance to bike, be with friends, swim in the local pool, hike, read at night – so much to do. It turned out that not having a TV in the good old summertime seemed right.
I’ve since come to realize that there’s a lot to do even when it’s not the good old summertime. When I’m at someone’s house, and the TV is on, it’s entertaining – a quick look and see. After that, it’s out of sight; out of mind. Oh yes.