3 Weeks of TV is just about enough

Unlike when I was growing up, we don't watch much TV in our house these days. As a kid, I watched so much TV I actually had the schedule memorized. You tell me a network and time slot, and I'll tell you what's on, even if it's a show I don't like.

But by my 30's, I had narrowed down my TV interest to just a couple of shows, and then when the kids came, we thought it best to keep it turned off. They still watch videos, of course, and I may watch a late-night rerun here or there. But for the most part, we keep it turned off.

The one exception, since the kids turned 5 or 6, is sports. We watch some football and some baseball, especially when the beloved Texas Rangers are on. Mostly, they play on Fox Sports Southwest. Because we don't have cable or dish, we don't get FSSW, so watching a Rangers game is a rarity. A few Friday night games during the regular season, and then the playoffs. For the second consecutive October, the Rangers are in the third round of the playoffs, also known as the World Series. Throughout the 3 rounds, we've watched most of the games, and it's been a weird experience for us.

I say weird because we're spending 3 hours on the couch, focusing on the TV screen, 5 nights a week. We're seeing commercials we need to mute (or even change the channel from). We're not interacting. We're looking at the screen rather than each other. We're not enjoying the perfect weather outside. Honestly, I don't see how people can watch the screen night after night. I don't understand how we did it when I was growing up.

Don't get me wrong: I'm loving that the Rangers, after 4 decades of futility, are in a position to be the champions. I badly hope they win. I think it will provide some great memories that will be with us as a family that, 30 years from now, we can look back on. But I've had enough of TV, and I'm glad there are, at a maximum, only 3 games left. I'm ready to turn the television off.

Comments

Bob Havey said…

I agree, JW. I watch the Sox, but not every game like I used to; the Pats, every game, and Fringe. Ya gotta love Fringe!

October 26, 2011 at 3:12 PM

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