aka R’acquel

For the last 4 years or so - i haven’t been watching much television. For long periods within that time, i haven’t watched ANY television at all. As for how it all started - one day, our expensive GRUNDIG TV blew up. I can’t remember how much it was, but it was grossly expensive. It was only 3 years old and I’ve never had a single television blow up on me. Rather offensive when you spend so much money on quality - and then it blows up on you. *lol*

The cost to get it repaired was something like $360 - so we said “stuff that” at the time, for a good 3 months at least. That was the beginning of the change. Life had no television in it because it blew itself up. *lol* Life without television - was pretty good.

It was only recently when i had seen just how good the quality of our TV is since that explosion. Found myself in a department store a few weeks ago - “big TVs” - but after closer look, the quality of the image in many of them is very poor. Came back home that day and saw the quality of the picture at home and i was startled by the difference. So we weren’t crazy spenders at the time afterall. I couldn’t remember what the motive was to buy it was so it was nice to remember. It was the quality - we were gizmo/technology junkies.

So - the last house we were in had no television reception and we were trully loving our life without it. I remember moving into this house and that horrible feeling of connecting the TV into the plug - just to check if reception is working. It felt horrible to turn it back on but it felt good to see Oprah again. I continued working while listening to the oprah show like a radio station. I missed the “learning”. If it was an Oprah show that had nothing new to teach, no problem to switch it right off. That hasn’t changed.

Dirty politics has truly gotten up my goit in the last few weeks. I don’t sit down to watch the news - it was the stuff happening within the commercial breaks. I can’t believe how much i have allowed the television to upset and hurt me the way it has in the last 2-3 months since it came back into our life, but even moreso in the last few weeks with dirty politics dominating at saturation point. It’s been absolutely repulsive. Time to remove negativity like that out of my life - shit like that has no place or even any direct “relevance” to it either~! Serves me right for taking one too many subjects on media studies that gave me so much knowledge on TV’s evil ways to distort the truth with propaganda. Perhaps complete ignorance could have been bliss, but i’m glad i found that power by simply finding the “off” button.

A very long absense from TV has made my emotions less experienced in “defence” & the suspension of disbelief. It’s very hard for me to sit down to a film as well. I don’t cope well with the overstimulation of emotions anymore. It’s been very hard for me to sit down to an entire film and watch it from beginning to end for the last 3-4 years. I should’ve known better not to switch it back on.

How could i allow TV to make me forget just how good this life is here and convince me otherwise!?! I won’t accept that. My marriage is going well. My son is doing well. I’m in the best shape that I’ve ever been in. I know how to cook nourishing meals for my family. I have friends who make me laugh. I see people making a big difference into the lives of others in this life right here in this town. The amazing thing is - it keeps getting better! Doom & gloom is not a part of my own life right here and right now. It doesn’t exist.

Spoke to the hubby. He agrees with me wholeheartedly - so we’re gonna pull the plug on that idiot box again. Our quality of life has always been much better without it. To just think of how much crap i will be cancelling out of my life by never turning it on again makes me feel much better already.

Time for me to get back onto the subject of weather. I obviously had more time for it when i wasn’t watching television.