David and I recently were able to take a trip by ourselves and stay in a very nice hotel. One of the things that I enjoy when it’s just the two of us is getting to watch television. Let me back track just a little bit. About 5 years ago David cancelled our cable service. Yep, he just came home one day and said, “I cancelled our cable.” I was like the mom in “The Christmas Story” after hearing what Ralphie said screaming, “What? What?” Well, after a while I sort of got use to it and now after 5 years I rejoice that we don’t have it. It is nice though every once in a while to see what all the hype is about. I hear people talking about different shows and even funny or outrageous commercials and I have no idea what they are talking about. So getting to watch a couple of hours each night before bedtime or an hour in the morning uninterrupted was something I was looking forward to. Or so I thought.
After watching about 45 minutes of morning television, I had the life scared out of me. I saw stories of children catching unthinkable germs and diseases from playing at restaurants with outdoor play-yards that never get cleaned, women catching horrible diseases in which they ended up losing their limbs, yucky parasites that can enter your body while swimming (of course these swimming places were exotic), gross stories about what is in our food, how much television/screen time children should have and the terrible things that can happen when there is too much, and don’t even get me started on what you can pick up in public restrooms. My stomach was literally getting upset with all of the stuff that I saw in less than an hour. It had me worried about my kids and to what they had been exposed all because of me. I shouldn’t take them out to eat, shouldn’t let them use public restrooms, certainly don’t touch anything out in public, and don’t go over to Papa’s house and watch more than 22 minutes of TV a week. Good grief! It made it sound like we were all going to die and soon.
David was calmly watching with me. He said, “Yes, this is true, but there is a lot that they are not telling you.” He told me about how your body’s immune system works (he has a degree in Biology so I trust him) and how we are already infested with germs and a few more aren’t going to hurt us. Yea, we could get more than our body can handle and bad things can happen, but hey, that’s life. Sure, you need to be cautious and smart about what you do, where you go, things your kids get into, but you can’t let it rule your life. Sigh, yea, you’re right.
So I’ve been without television for five years and in my own little perfect bubble with the kids not worrying about anything out of the ordinary and life has been good. I could let that morning of television rule and change my life, but I think I’ll block that session out of my mind and just go back to my perfect little bubble.
Hi! Love this post!
I’m a relatively new listener. I found you guys a couple months ago during my search for tips on celebrating and cultivating our domestic church. I’m a California mother of three boys, and both my husband and I are cradle Catholics. We’ve been moving deeper into our faith over the last few years, attempting to answer God’s calling for our family. I really appreciate your podcast and have reccomended it to several of my friends and family members. It’s my favorite new obsession. I listen to you guys in the car, on walks and around the house. I think I’m almost caught up.
We have also been tossing around the idea of getting rid of cable in our home. I am ready and willing, but my husband is not quite convinced. (He’s a real sports nut!) After a lifetime of television, I can see how it is a daunting thought and even I have my moments of weakness, but I do truly believe it will be a positive for our family.
Thank you for sharing your life with us all. It’s a real blessing to find such a wonderful example for Catholis families!