Liberation from Television
» Gallimaufry
It has been over a year since I liberated myself from television.
At the time I was desperately broke (and yet to know that money was hemorrhaging in support of my then lover’s drug habit). Realizing that I was paying about $90 a month for cable television service I told them to shut it off and take the box back.
There are plenty of evenings I do wish I could just turn the TV on and watch something. But even with almost every cable channel I found I was watching junk I’d never willingly go out and select if I were renting.
Well before the web television was a source of trivial pursuits, unimportant information and inferior entertainments.
Without the inert pleasures of television I either have to find something that I really want to do or perform useful tasks.
I’ve long known that I don’t want to look back at my decades and regret how I spent them. As I grow older this seems more important.
I don’t worry about facing some silly angry creator god harassing me for how I spent my time. But on my death bed I’d like to think I did exert myself if only to a small degree in making what I could of my limited existence.
Of course the majority of the population are born to live and die as consumers of entertainment products. I won’t vilify them. I’m grateful that I’m not of their number.
