All this week I have been anxiously awaiting the kickoff of both the College and NFL football seasons. I've tried to run errands, shop for groceries, buy gas, do laundry, and checkoff a few things on my to-do list during this week so that I can channel surf the multiple games aired today. Before my feet hit the floor this morning, I had already checked the Direct TV guide to see which games came on first and which were played at what time on competing networks. But when I picked up a pen to make yet another list, I had an honest conversation with myself that went like this, "Girl STOP, this is ridiculous!" I admit that on most days the television is the first thing that's turned on in the morning and the last thing turned off at night. Hello, my name is Marilyn and I acknowledge and accept that I am a television addict and that I've been one since September 1964.
If you're wondering how I could possibly remember that my problem began in September 1964, let me explain. When I was eleven years old, I had waited anxiously for the premiere of "Bewitched" after seeing the promos for several weeks, but on the night that it premiered I couldn't watch it. I had gotten in trouble for something that day and my punishment was no television at all. I was devastated, and to add salt to an open wound, my mother turned the volume up so that I could only hear it. It didn't help that my sister who was eight years old would run back to the bedroom to describe everything that she was seeing. Every time that I'd hear that chime when Samantha would twitch her nose, I'd cry harder and louder to no avail.
As a young child and teenager, watching television became an escape for me in many ways. I was rarely still awake when the three channels that we had would sign off, but I'd sometimes hear the National Anthem from the living room that played when they signed off. While I was an avid reader, I also spent endless hours watching too much television. I also have fond childhood memories of being surprised with our first color television. Let me tell you, that was a significant day. I felt like "we finally got a piece of the pie." And the decades when shows like "Good Times", "Soul Train", "Sanford & Sons", and "The Jefferson's" were regular weekly series, I did a lot less reading but a lot more laughing and dancing.
Over these sixty years, television has changed tremendously and now I'm having a hard time keeping up. When cable television hit the scene and additional channels were added and when networks dedicated to only sports became a part of the mix, I threw in the towel and gave up the fight. A television stays on in my home for nearly all of the day whether I'm sitting and watching or just listening. I'm aware that I get overwhelmed now just hearing and thinking about all of the streaming networks, so for now I'll just stick with what I've got even though I think I pay too much for cable service. That's a story for another day.
I'm proud of myself for acknowledging and honestly revealing that I have a problem with watching too much television, but I've decided since creating this post to grant myself a little grace, mercy, and self-forgiveness. There are so many other things that I could have a "problem" with that are a lot worse than watching television, so I'm ahead of the game. Speaking of "the game", I've got two more football games to watch later tonight that are on different channels, so I've got to get my snacks and television remote ready.
Much Love,
Marilyn
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