OPINION|
Several years ago, I was fed up with the gradual increase of our television cable bill. After the bill had doubled, I called the provider for an explanation.
After a very frustrating, intense conversation, the customer service representative made it very clear that they weren’t budging on the bill. There was a long pause before the representative asked, “Is there anything else I can do for you?” My mind was racing with replies, recognizing that up to this point, not a darn thing had been done to help me. “Yes, there is. Cancel my subscription!” Without delay, they did.
During that season, my kids were in middle and elementary school. Because school was about to let out for the summer, I knew not having a television would be a hard hit for them. My husband loved watching a few channels, too — car auctions and racing, plus the History Channel.
But I had made the decision. The next day, before I picked the kids up from school, I packed all the cable boxes, remotes, and cords, then shipped them back to the provider. On the way home, the kids were telling me how they were anticipating summer. What excited them the most was the summer Olympics. Yikes! I had totally forgotten about the summer Olympics.
After we arrived home, the kids went outside and my husband arrived just in time for dinner. This is where I shared the news.
“Today, I was brave and stood up for what I felt was the best decision.”
Eyes widened with anticipation they said almost in unison, “What?”
“I canceled our cable network subscription and we no longer have a hundred bazillion TV channels!”
There was a long pause, their mouths dropped, and all three had a long stare at me. One asked, “How many channels do we have?”
Raising my eyebrows to show great excitement, I smiled and said, “None.”
“Wait….what?”
Family reluctantly got on board
After a long discussion of time spent watching television versus cost for service, and the investment of quality family time versus hours of distractions with useless programs, they reluctantly got on board. I was thrilled that they were willing to attempt life without a television. Honestly, for me it wouldn’t be difficult at all to give up television time. I knew it would be harder for the rest of the family.
Initially, I was concerned that we’d sit on the couch and just stare at the television like there was something to watch. Instead, we rallied together and discovered creative activities.
Playing games became one of our favorite times together. In the Ozarks, there is so much outdoor opportunity; also, we attended things like movies at Founders Park, events from the community calendar, and even created our own outdoor fun.
Most of all I enjoyed the intentional conversations, as we watched sunsets, gazed at the night sky, and watched for falling stars. We also spent more time cooking together, and sitting longer at breakfast and dinner. Visiting the local library became a frequent trip. We also took advantage of cleaning out closets and storage areas that were filled with unnecessary and unused items. Volunteering at local organizations allowed us to give back to our community as we cleaned trails at the Nature Center and also attended their workshops.
We discovered more about each other
More importantly, we discovered more about each other, our interests and giftings. For instance, my son is a fantastic cook and thoroughly enjoys planning and making dinner. He is a great host and enjoys creating a memorable experience as part of the meal. My daughter is an amazing writer and has great wit in storytelling. She also loves creating lists for our family and marking them off when done. This too is part of my love language! My husband loves teaching our kids about cars — showing how to change the oil, check the tire pressure and change a tire. At night, I loved sitting outside, listening to all of the sounds of nature and guessing what each one was. One night we heard baby foxes calling out to their mom. Another night we heard rustling in the woods only to discover it was an armadillo.
Very little of this would have occurred had we been lined up in front of a television screen.
Our daily routine changed. Instead of just turning the television on in the morning and leaving the sounds of programming roaring for hours, a new rhythm became our normal routine. We gathered … sat, talked… gathered for breakfast, sat on the porch, or walked the long (⅓ of mile) driveway chatting about what our day should be. Our days didn’t get longer without the television; they actually seemed to go by faster as we had to push some of our plans to the next day.
We went most of the summer without television until the Olympics approached. Then I bought “rabbit ears” to plug into the back of the television. If you’re 50 years old or older, you know what I’m talking about. That didn’t work very well, so I had to upgrade to the new and improved local television antenna, which allowed us to get five channels. It was hilarious watching the kids walk around the room, holding the antenna in various directions in an attempt to watch the diving competition. The comedy act of holding the antenna became our entertainment. Once the games were over, we unplugged the antenna and didn’t plug it back in until Christmas.
Unplugging led to some of our best family memories
Here are some takeaways from our season without a television. Families easily allow distractions in our daily family time. We pay quite a good price for the distractions, hence, the cable network. Our family adjusted much easier to no television than I thought. The time we had together as family, engaging in other activities created some of our best memories.
Now, 15 years later, none of us center our lives around the television, and neither now-grown child is a nightly or weekly watcher. Yes, there are more viewing options now other than cable or satellite; however that year showed all of us that our time together is better spent away from any screen.
You might try unplugging in order to discover unique interests and giftings of your family. Put that monthly cable or satellite bill towards activities, picnics, events, or special home dinners. Trust me, the memories you create will be much better than anything you could view on the television.
