HOW DO YOU SPEND YOUR TIME….TV…NEED OR CRUTCH?

Posted on | March 28, 2010 | 3 Comments

I just moved into a new neighborhood filled with great neighbors. One of the neighbors, who had family visiting, decided to have some of us over for drinks. It was an evening no one wanted to ventured on the roads as the air was filled with swirling snow, ice and biting cold. Once inside their home I viewed the enticing fire in their fireplace that spewed an invitation of warmth. A gentle evening with new friends.

Then came the surprise….Danny, who lived there and Danny who was a guest, appeared with guitars in hand. After a brief warm-up they serenaded us with music from the past. Their voices filled the room with harmony and passion. They were good! It was a perfect evening…..friends, warm fire,snow falling, wine and music.

As I listened to their music, I found myself thinking about “time” and how we chose to spend it. These men obviously didn’t spend most of their time in front of the TV each night being spun into a stupor of fantasy. They got together and worked on their music. Why? Because it’s their passion…it feeds their soul.

I asked myself….. how do I spend my evenings….. how much time do I waste? A scary question to look in the eye!

Is “zoning out” in front of the TV… a need or a crutch?

Maybe our need to “zone out” is because we want/need the stimulation of nothingness. We then go to bed with out minds filled with fool’s paradise instead of reading, writing or dreaming of a better way to achieve our goals.

How do you spend your evenings?

Is TV really important to you? Is it a ritual? Is it difficult to turn the TV off after watching the show you really love?

I don’t suggest any of us give up TV all together but how about cutting back?

Let’s have a test for the brave:

Here are the suggested rules….

1. Select the programs you love to watch…write them down.

2. Tally up the number of TV hours for the week.

3. Look over the list and drop one.

4. If you have only one on your list for the week…Congratulations…..keep it!

5. Commit to viewing only these programs for one month.

This experiment will provide all of us with much needed information about ourselves. Will we miss TV after the month?

Also…what did you learn about yourself?

What do you think….are you in?…..LET’S DO THIS TOGETHER !!!!!

Comments

3 Responses to “HOW DO YOU SPEND YOUR TIME….TV…NEED OR CRUTCH?”

Kim
March 29th, 2010 @ 6:33 am

Ah Gwen, this is a lovely post and a good reminder, too. It sounds like you had a beautiful evening with your neighbors. Now that is a true delight.

TV is not a big thing at our house for the most part. Unless something is going on in the world or a particular series interests us, we don’t partake on a regular basis. I think, for us, living abroad helped as there were so many other more interesting things to do than trying to figure out what the fast talking shows were about. Even our young adult children don’t even own televisions. My husband always said we should learn to depend on ourselves for entertainment before we used others.

Thanks for this great reminder to be cautious about what eats up your precious time (the computer comes to mind, too). Have a Lovely Day!

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gwen Reply:
March 29th, 2010 at 7:09 am
@Kim, We lived overseas as well and as you said…too many things to do to sit and watch someone else. I love what your husband said about “learning to depend on ourselves for entertainment before we use others”….great plan!
Several years ago my son decided to give his TV away. He didn’t watch any for a year. He now has a TV but seldom turns it on.
You have a great day as well.

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Debora Stewart
April 2nd, 2010 @ 4:41 am

There was a book several years ago titled “Unplug the plug in drug”. I really liked that title alot. But, winter time finds me in front of the t.v. much more than spring, summer and fall. In the summer I never turn it on during the day time and spend much more time outside. It is a seasonal thing for me and only in the evenings.

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