In an effort to cut my budget as well as cut the crap from my life, I canceled cable on January 1st. It was part of my New Year's resolution strategy of focusing on authenticity and abundance, and television does not fit into either of those two ambitions. Lent began this week, which is every Catholic's opportunity for a resolution "do over," so this week I am checking the pulse on my resolutions to see how I'm doing. So far, so good.
I have not watched TV during the week for two months, and I don't miss it one bit. I actually have time to focus on family, friends, work, writing, and myself. Granted, I watch a bit of TV on the weekends when I am at the cabin, which has a satellite, but to watch TV seems awkward and uncomfortable. I didn't think I watched TV that much before my resolutions, but I am beginning to realize that what I have experienced over the last two months has been no different than breaking a habit, an addiction. Sitting in front of the idiot box each night became commonplace and comfortable for me, as is the case for many millions of Americans. I'm a news junkie, so I watched the talking heads every night during the market crash and during the election last year, but I still watched the various addiction shows so prevalent in the amazingly and sadly popular reality TV.
I've replaced TV watching with other, more healthy addictions: reading, writing, exercising, playing Scrabble with my wife . . . living. I am no longer addicted to someone else's drama. Life requires movement. Let's move.