Life Without TV

Several posts back, I made a comment that I had turned off my cable TV service and planned to live without TV as much as possible. Toward that end, I went out purchased several sets of rabbit ears and attached them to the sets around the house.

That was one of the BEST decisions I have ever made in my life.

The first week or so I felt a little strange because I was so habituated to turning on one of the sets as soon as I walked in the door at night.

Actually, I suppose I was in some stage of withdrawal, because I went to the video store and rented videos 3-4 times that first week. I felt as if I had to keep something going on the screen all the time. The second week, I noticed I rented fewer videos, and didn't feel as compelled to have something being channeled to the screen at all times.

Now, I'm past all that. In fact, I usually only turn on the TV in the morning when I'm getting ready for work. They do a hell of a traffic report around here. My love affair with the TV is over.

It has had some other implications I didn't anticipate. Maybe it's unrelated, because I thought I was in great health before I launched my initiative to get rid of my TV habit, but I have never felt better in my life!

I replaced my habit with geek stuff, electronic toys, a PC and a Mac, an iPod Shuffle, library books, music, and have even found myself going out socially. Good grief, I had no idea I had wasted so much time watching TV. Not falling asleep with it turned on in the bedroom has enabled me to sleep solidly for the first time in years. I'm a morning person again, and I wake up happy in the morning. Not an endearing trait, but I try to keep it in check .

I don't know if I could have done this when I was in my 20's or 30's. For sure, our needs change as we get farther along in our travels. In any event, I'm thrilled to have discovered this new window of time created by my merely turning off the TV.

And, hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah, for not having Fox News in my face anymore. I have replaced them with iTunes, an iPod Shuffle, and some absolutely fantastic music. I get most of my news from Podcasts created by some really fantastic folks around the internet.