During Finn's newborn weeks, when we still had access to a plethora of channels, I spent the days plopped on the couch watching marathons of America's Next Top Model while trying to learn just how in the world I was supposed to breastfeed my son...something that I had always thought should come much more naturally than it really had.
I'm irritated with myself when I think back to those days, with so. much. television. on all the time. Time that could've been spent in the quiet, alone with Finn, trying together to figure things out, without the distraction of noise, pointlessness, and the consistent escape of my heart from the reality in front of me
I'm embarrassed to admit, but during those days, I wanted to see who Tyra would kick off more than I wanted to work at trying to keep my newborn son from falling asleep during a feeding. I knew I couldn't defeat t.v. unless we got rid of it.
Then our cable company stopped giving us the extra channels, and it wasn't long before we realized how ridiculous it was to be paying $80.00 a month for local channels and internet. So, the decision to downgrade to just internet was made.
With internet and Netflix, we eventually came to the conclusion that there is no sense in allowing an object(our t.v.) to hold the most prominent spot in our living room....or maybe even, our whole house.
So we sold the television. And it felt wonderful.
I won't lie...there are going to be times that I wish we still had it. Like when a few girls are coming over and I'm tired and I'll think "man, I wish we still had that tv, then we could just put a movie in and I could zone out". But, I am hopeful, that the harder things, the things that take more heart and energy, are worth it, and full of blessing. And at the end of the night, could I ever regret moments sitting on couches, painting our nails, eating chocolate, and talking with one another for hours?
Don't get me wrong. I love movies, SO much! Steven and I go see a movie almost every week...and we watch lots of movies, documentaries and series on Netflix, but tonight, we are sitting on our new patio furniture in the backyard under the street lights, with crickets chirping and fireflies lighting up the darkness past the little rise in our yard...instead of watching television.
Something that secludes the spirit within us for another that promotes communion with each other? Yes please!
Saturday morning we assembled our new investment...
And tidied up the patio...
We even spiffy-fied the grill
...though we still have quite a bit left to do....as you can see by the random pile of scrap odds and ends. Don't start thinking that just because we've got patio furniture that we've got it all figured out! It's easy to hide the ugly on the internet. My camera goes exactly where I tell it to. By the way, isn't that screen door super cute?! I saw it laying in the back of someone's apartment as I was walking through the neighborhood and when I took Steven back to look at it the owners just happened to be outside...Of course I asked them if they were planning on tossing it and they let me walk away with it! I've got some plans brewing...
If the slightest thought ever comes into your mind about selling your television...I dare you to do it! Just think of what you could do with the money that could be invested into the lasting things of your life. Now, I understand that it's possible to own a television, to enjoy it, and not be enslaved by it. That's wonderful! Keep it! I also know that there are plenty of times that television can actually bring people together. But for me, and my story, it was a divider more than anything else. It was beginning to be a deadly form of escape...I felt great pieces of my life being wasted by it.
Allison
You must have sold your computer too because you have NOT been blogging.
ReplyDelete-Erica (Ruiz) Jones