The Similkameen News Leader
Editorial
May 13, 2008
NO NEWS IS GOOD NEWS
We turned off our TV.
Well, actually, I should clarify that statement. We no longer have programming fed to our television. It was an option we had discussed quite some time ago thinking that maybe the flickering box in the livingroom was alive because we wanted it to be, and because it was alive, it sucked the life out of us after staring at it's flickering lights for hours on end.
It baby sat us. It kept us company. It told us when to eat and sleep. It encouraged us to buy products it endorsed. It allowed us to watch channels only it could give us.
That flickering box in the livingroom was controlling our evenings. We planned meals around it. I even came home early one night a week so I wouldn't miss the latest episode of my favourite show. This was seriously getting out of hand and something had to give, so it was with some level of relief when the program provider finally shut us out of their world.
Just about a month has passed since the flickering box went dark. I don't really miss it, either. I have to say there's a few programs I may miss a little, but not so much that I need a fix by going over to someone else's house to stare at their flickering box.
I think I'm doing pretty good without it...so far.
I have to admit I thought it would be a tough addiction to beat, but almost immediately there was a change in the livingroom without the flickering box teasing us with it's hypnotic stare. We started to do other things in the livingroom.
We played cards. We read more. We talked about painting the livingroom. Hmmm, come to think of it, that's right. We talked. I forgot how much fun that could be. And how funny she could be.
Imagine that.
The flickering box that communicated to us forced us to stop communicating with each other.
Funnier still when you consider both of us work in the 'communication of information' business.
So the once flickering box that kept the livingroom alive with entertainment has been replaced by us entertaining each other with our stories and laughter. We've replaced the flickering box with our own reality show.
A show I can't wait to tune into each night.
