We don't watch regular t.v. in our home. It's not that we're morally opposed to it or anything like that. Although, there really doesn't seem to be much of value to watch.
We chose to disconnect our satellite service about 4 years ago. The monthly bill had doubled since we had elected the service. The cost seemed to be ever-increasing. It was difficult to justify almost $70 per month for t.v.
Without satellite, we don't have t.v. We are too remote for cable service and too far in a valley for decent antenna reception.
This was not the first time we had gone without t.v. I was unable to afford a satellite hookup for some time and we did without when we first moved into our home. In fact, I think we've only had t.v. for about 9 of my oldest daughter's 19 years... and 6 of those years were when we lived in the city and had cable.
We do have 3 television sets and we have dvd players for each of them. We rent dvds regularly and have found the most convenient and economical method is using Netflix. I love seeing those red envelopes in the mail! I love not paying late fees! And, I'm still paying less than half of what I did for satellite.
The brilliant part for us has been that we are not slaves to t.v. programming. Yes, I know tivo has helped resolve some of this issue. But, living t.v. free is even better. We don't have commercials, stupid repetitious news stories and other drivel pouring into our daily lives cluttering our minds. We choose what we watch and when we watch it.
I will admit that when I first gave up t.v. I suffered withdrawals. What to do with the extra time? What to do with the quiet? Well, I quickly filled the void. Then, I became aware of how much our culture revolves around t.v. I was in the dark when folks would discuss what they saw on t.v. the night before or the latest scandal. Soon, I found that I was rather blissfully unaware!
I keep up with current events through news on the internet. I watch t.v. programs I find interesting when they are available on DVD.
What have I gained? I save money. I have more time. I've spent valuable time with my kids as they've grown up doing homework, cooking, playing games, talking, reading, etc.
For us, removing the t.v. from our lives was a very positive step. So, try it for a few days. Turn off the t.v. and go t.v. free. See if it makes a difference for you and your family. You might be surprised!
A Painted Line
With silk stockings rationed, resourceful women took to having their legs painted to resemble stockings - complete with A Painted Line for the seam.
2 comments:
We are TV free Sunday thru Friday when the kids get home from school. Like you, I've found it refreshing. More time for reading, playing games and talking.
Many think I've chosen it because I'm some sort of zealot who disagrees with much of what I see on TV. Not so - I just want to know my family better. And myself.
Good for you! It's amazingly liberating, isn't it? I really had no idea how much time the t.v. sucked away from us until we didn't have it.
You and your family won't regret it. My college daughter says it's been helpful to her. She doesn't feel the need to run to the lobby and watch her shows instead of doing homework (no cable in the dorm rooms only the lobbies). She just orders what she wants on Netflix and watches them over the weekends. She's amazed at how many fellow students lives stop because at 8:00 their show is on.
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