Yesterday, I turned on my television.
Why is this statement worthy of a blog post? Because it was the first time my television had been turned on in my Texas apartment in the year 2020. The small portable set works and cable is connected for my viewing pleasure. (Honestly, I only have cable because it is more cost effective to have it included in my bundle than to pay for internet service alone.)
Don’t misunderstand. My apartment is not silent nor a monastery. I just find that watching programs on Hulu, Netflix, and YouTube allow me to have more control over my schedule than working my viewing time around the boob tube. When I watch television, I inevitably find myself sitting in front of the screen waiting for the program to air and then continue to sit like a mindless zombie after the program is over. It is just too easy for me to become engrossed in whatever is coming up next. Before I know it, my time has been taken over and I have accomplished nothing.
Keeping the television off is the key to increasing my personal reading. I have also noticed that my mood and outlook has improved when the talking box is silent. I can only take so much of the negative talk that comes through the media. Now, I determine when I am going to watch the news and limit my intake to that short span of time.
What caused me to turn on the television last night? It’s probably not my proudest addiction, but I will confess anyway. Last night was the season finale of Big Brother All-Stars. I have been a loyal viewer every summer and fall since season 8 or so. (To help put things in perspective, this was the conclusion of season 22.) I didn’t want to wait for the episode to be available for streaming and risk finding out who had won the season before watching for myself. Sometimes it is in the simple pleasures in life.
Livin' Life 