And no, we still don't have a flat screen TV, but I do enjoy watching 'Chopped.' Catching the NBC Nightly News is an ingrained part of a lifetime routine, learned at my father's knee. We love kicking back on a Friday night with some big bowls of mint chocolate chip ice cream or a bag of warm popcorn and vegging out with a good movie after a long week. But other than that, I think it's safe to say that I would be happy to live without the TV.
I'd like to think that instead of mindlessly channel surfing or watching inane shows that serve no purpose or inviting people with filthy mouths and questionable lifestyles into our homes, we might all choose to spend more time living life well.
Perhaps we could reach out and interact with real live people, sharing our tables, talking deeply, playing board games, or doing something fun. Maybe we'd begin to read through the stacks of the books and magazines that pile up on our coffee tables. Resurrect an abandoned hobby or put some energy into trying our hands at something new. Take an evening walk. Or sit on the back porch and watch the birds gobble up their final meal of the day or the baby fawn tentatively make her away across the lawn or the lightning bugs take their gentle evening journey.
Maybe we would learn to treasure silence, and begin to cultivate that stillness in our souls that would allow us to savor the presence of our Savior for more than just a minute or two here and there.
If we said good-bye to TV, we'd probably experience some kind of withdrawal symptoms. I'd miss my 'Chopped' marathons. I guess I could get the news online. And do we really need to spend hours laying around watching movies?
I see-saw back and forth on this. But I know we won't be getting rid of the TV anytime soon.
Yet, Miss Minimalist's post on what it looks like to have no TV in her home is appealing to me at some level. She's got 7 reasons why they're not indulging ... and I love every one of them. Especially #1 {more silence} and #2 {more serenity}. You'll probably appreciate the other 5 as well.
And then, maybe like me, you'll consider what you want to do with that screen that takes central stage in our homes, that beckons to us from room after room, that eats away valuable hours that we'll never be able to reclaim, that steals the countless moments that could have been devoted to the deep interaction we so long for ...
Linda
