Video Killed The Radio Star

I served a mission for my church from 1998 to 2000, (which is why and how I speak French) and for almost 18 months I didn't watch television.

It produced an interesting perspective: suddenly, for the first time in my life, commercials seemed ridiculous. When I came back home, it took me more than a week to finally feel interested in trying to watch TV. I sat on my couch, pondering the "TV fast" I was about to break, while holding the plastic remote in my hand. I turned on the "boob tube" and within one hour turned it off again, out of irritation. I couldn't stand it anymore. I noticed three things:

1. Commercials seemed more loud and obnoxious than ever

2. Pharmaceutical companies had started advertising prescription drugs (hearing, "ask your doctor if Lipitor is right for you" was something I had never heard before). Now, considering my mom had passed away the week before because of complications from a prescription diet pill she got after "asking her doctor", you can understand why my blood started boiling when I heard the voice on the commercial rattling off the usual list of "possible side effects"!

3. The background music of all these shows was really loud. While watching the new game show "Who Wants to be a Millionaire" I found myself feeling short of breath because the beating heart sound playing in the background was stressing me out. (By the way, If you want to play online....click HERE.)

Oh, one more thing.....
I found myself thinking, "what's a reality show?"

Can you imagine?

So anyway, I eventually got over that "TV aversion" and, sadly, became familiar with the "Seasonal Line-Up" once again. Years later, while living in the Mesa area, we bought a 54-inch plasma and subscribed to over a thousand channels. "What have we become," I thought to myself, ever so briefly, before clicking through the channels and memorizing my favorites.

In March, we disconnected the flat screen (for the move to the farm) and didn't watch TV again.....

Until a month ago

When we were introduced to DirecTV.
(uh, oh)

I have to say that I had become (seemingly) dependant on TV again as a stay-at-home mom. It was a way to be connected, to have "company" during the day as I went about my things to do. After moving to the farm, isolation was the hardest thing to deal with: no TV, no visible neighbors, no LIGHTS...it was lonely when Ben was working late. The radio was on a LOT and my i-pod was working over-time.

So, when we were scheduled for our "hook-up", after six months of silence, you can understand why I was counting down the hours.

He finally came, and while he was working, I found myself flittering anxiously around the house, and pacing like a hyper chiauaua. To calm myself, I sat at the computer. While checking my email, it began. I heard it. A commercial broke the silence. After ten minutes I found myself in the same position I was in after my mission.

"That is SO annoying," I thought to myself. "Why did we hook this up?"

As soon as he walked out the door, I grabbed the remote and turned the noise down.....WAAAAAY down. I tried for a week, but nothing sparked my interest. Once again, people seemed phony, reality shows seemed fake, commercials were loud, AND women appeared to be wearing even less clothing.

Has "simplifying" curbed my television addiction once again?

Has the absence of television led me to expand myself; to have the time to teach my 4-year-old to read, to learn how to make pies, grow herbs, and sew quilts....to do things for my family? (hmmmm.)

Well, at least we have the NFL Superfan package.

...okay....and HGTV!