I found myself watching a football game last night that I had very little interest in, that had absolutely no influence on the won/loss record of my favorite team. I knew it was probably a waste of my time to watch. I also knew that judging from my level of comfort, it was going to be very difficult to get up and turn off the TV. A tremendous amount of effort was going to have to be expended, and it was just easier to lay there and watch, rather than do what I know needed to be done. After a good half hour of waffling, I got up, turned it off, and began to read a book.
I’m not an anti-TV guy. I have shows I like to watch, and sporting events that I need to see to keep up with the teams I root for. I just think I tend to—like many other people—devote too much time to looking at a babbling screen when I could be doing something more important, such as:
- spending time with my family
- exercising
- writing content for this blog
But, Yankee games tend to take three hours minimum, and then there is my couch. It acts too much like an old, comfortable friend to leave it.
I know the mindless watching of television is not going to get me where I want to be, blogging or otherwise. This blog itself would be much further along if I could just pull myself off that couch from looking at one screen, and getting in front of the computer screen. In some ways, I find all that ironic. It’s funny that a guy who pledges old school values would go from one screen to another, write on-line, and publish in a medium where I may be read by other people who I might have very little in common with.
Aside from that, the old school is definitely where I’m from. I don’t “tweet”, I don’t have any plans to, and if I spend five to ten minutes a day on Facebook, that’s a lot. I’m more likely to make a call from a land line than a cell phone, and I’ve sent three text messages in my entire life. But I still think its amazing that I can write something, see it on my very own (sort of) website, and receive comments on that text. The blog is my new school communication tool of choice.
And, in staying with the ironic theme, this blog will be a spot where people can learn more about me—especially those who I have a “non-electronic” relationship with. My thoughts make more sense and are better organized when they are written down—and I can always edit the things I was going to say that won’t make sense to anyone.
I barely remember anything about the football game I watched last night. But I do know it will be easy to recall the process of writing this, and connecting with the readers who will be interested in what I have to say. As I’m writing this now with a pen and yellow legal pad—so low tech—I’m finding it easy to ignore the television screen in the background. Will that be the case in the future? I know to get something done, all one has to think is just do it. Might be a cliche’, but its as simple as that. But can I do it, and make it happen continuosly?
Now I wonder…what channel are the Yankees on tonight?
Joe DeGiorgio 
all I can say is ” hmm”. That is always what you say when a show breaks for commercial. The fact is there is very little we like to watch on the tube. At least we could care less whether it’s Jon and Kate + 8 or Kate + 8. As long as Seinfeld is still in reruns we will still have something to watch. Forget the Tylenol PM …TV does it for me.
Oh snap, you know this rings true for me! How many times have you told me to update my blog?! How many times have I said, “Geez, Joey Leftovers, get off my case, I’m busy!” When, in reality, I go home at night, take my dog for a spin around the block, fix myself lunch for the next day, and plop down in front of the boob toob to watch my week night line up. The sad thing about this “line up,” is that there really isn’t one show that I can name that I really and truly enjoy or draw something valueable from. In fact, I don’t know that I can even name the shows that I watch almost every night! But as you pointed out, it is just so much more convenient to bask in the blue glow and sip on a little vino blanco than to step back, consider an activity that would (a) result in learning, (b) further my quality of living, aka cleaning, or (c) progress some skills such as writing, piano, dog training, Russian language, WHATEVER. But no, the last thing I learned on an evening after work is that Lifetime changed their lineup, and I really felt abandoned because “Reba” will no longer be on.
So, Joey D., I commiserate with your self-loathing when it comes to an inexplicable and completely useless dependency on that squawking box in my living room.
That being said– does anyone know when I can catch “Reba?”