This is definitely the single most common question my boyfriend, Ryan, and I receive when someone new comes to visit our house. They take the tour of our house and inevitably ask “So where do you hide your TV?” And my answer is always received by shock, “We don’t have one.”
You can tell a lot about a person, by their reaction to our answer. Some don’t challenge it, but you can tell they think we’re strange. Some think we’re kidding. Some think maybe we just don’t have a full cable package (just the basics), and keep our television hidden in some fancy hidden compartment in a piece of our furniture or in a room that wasn’t on the tour. To some, the idea has never occurred to them. And to the rare few, some think it’s a great idea.
I actually had a very amusing encounter when I called to set up our internet a few months ago: When I called the company, the man ended our conversation by saying, “We also offer cable, and can probably save you some money on what you’re paying now. Who are you using for your cable currently?” When I told him that we don’t have a TV, I was met with silence. I could tell he was scanning his script for a rebuttal, but there was nothing written for that. Once he had gathered himself he said, “But it’s good to have even just basic cable with us anyway, because we can save you money on what you’re currently paying.” No matter how much I explained, I just could not get it through this guy’s head that we did not have a TV. He had never heard of it, and had, obviously, never thought it a possibility. This just goes to show how reliant our population is on the screen in their living room that showcases another’s life. Why are we so fascinated with drama happening elsewhere to people we don’t even know?
Our decision to throw out our TV happened about a year and a half ago. At the time, we didn’t have cable (because who needs another bill?), but were still able to get a few channels through the antennae. Growing up in a family where TV is the most common past time, and one of the few times when everyone can stand being in a room together, it had become something that was a part of me. Ryan, on the other hand, grew up without a lot of TV, so when he discovered it later on, it was a total novelty. So, combine these two backgrounds, and you have two people who love to waste time in front of the television screen. After about six months of having regular shows to watch, and sometimes just having it on for background noise, we looked at each other one day and said, “Why are we fighting so much lately?” The answer: we aren’t spending any fun time together, because we just don’t have enough time. And why don’t we have enough time? Because we are spending all of our free time at home, watching these shows about which we have no idea why we care. So, the decision seemed easy: throw out the TV!
At first, it was actually painful. I wanted to know what happened during the rest of the season on my favorite shows, because I was invested in the plots and the characters and others’ journeys. And I wanted to watch my favorite morning talk shows and news while I got ready for work. But then, something amazing happened: I had more time to do what I wanted to do! Instead of watching someone else take risks and live their life, I actually I had time to do that for myself. How many times have you found yourself saying, “I just don’t have time to do that”? Well, how much time would you need to do that thing you don’t have time to do? And how much time do you spend watching TV during the day or after you get home from work? Do those two seem to match up at all?
A long time ago, I heard the saying “If you want time, you must make it.” And it’s true! There is always plenty of time; it’s just a matter of how you’re using it. So instead of watching TV, we started playing cards, eating dinner at the table, talking, painting, reading, exercising: all things that gave us down time, but also that gave us enjoyment, time together and fulfillment of experience.
So I challenge you to find one thing that you’ve always wanted to do. Figure out how much time a day you would need to do it, and then cut that amount of time out of your television watching. Trust me, it works!
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