Living without TV is liberating.
Written by Nez, Posted in My Thoughts, Comments: leave another one
Hello there TV lovers. Have you ever imagined your day or a week without watching your favourite programme?. Or coming home from work and not space out in front of TV for few hours.
If NOT, you are not alone. I liked my TV. I’d grown used to TV as a background when- reading, using the laptop, cooking or eating. When Muli was a baby we reduced the watching of TV a lot. That got me used to watching less and less TV. I then started forgetting about the slots of my favourite programmes.
When we moved to France, I tried to use TV as a way of learning French but it never worked because there were just way too many places to see than being glued on a coach. Plus I did not want to succumb to isolation. I spent a lot of time outdoors meeting new people or touring places. We will sometimes watch CNN news and there was a fashion programme I liked but I was often never home when it was aired. So slowly TV went out of our daily routine.
It is now almost 6 months since I have watched TV. We rented out our house when we were in Europe and when we came back our satellite dish was missing. Every week Cullo promised to go and apply for one. We did not need it enough hence I never pushed to get cables connected. Before we knew it, we survived 6 months without TV.
When I sat down in our family room and looked at the black TV monitor I got reminded of how little I really missed it. I thought I will be miserable without knowing what happened to my favourite TV characters (Generations – Karabo Moroka, Chopa, Nolutu etc and Movango plus Rhythm City) but they kind of faded away in my mind and I am at a point where I careless.
Without TV I have a lot of free time in my hands.
- I managed to unpack all the boxes. Of which I would have never done if I had close to 3hours a day to watch TV.
- After work I have time to jump on a trampoline with Muli and just give her time and play.
- I went through stack of books that I needed to plan and I actually started reading more. I need to update my side bar
- Depending on how I feel after work, If I did not ride a bike to work, I often take my bike and ride a quick 10km.
- I go for evening walks.
- I even take a nap if I want.
- I prepare for the next morning earlier in the evening. That gives me time to sleep more.
- After supper I have time to clean up the kitchen.
- I get to have deeper and more meaningful conversations with Cullo.
The list is endless. I was amazed when I realised that I tended to do more things I wanted to do if the tv is OFF. I never been really disappointed that I didn’t watch a TV programmes.
Now and then I do to be asked if I watched a certain programme. The topic change to another direction once I say NO. I don’t feel like I’m mission out. Instead I feel more like I have control over my time, what’s going on around me and I like those little chat I have with Cullo.
Take care,
Nez