INSIDE OUT

Yes, you've read it right. We do not own a television in our home. When B and I were married, we decided quite confidently that our home did not need a television in order to sustain it. After all, who has time for television with all the outdoor activity and social circles we enjoyed so much!? We also realized that neither of us had enough self control to turn the thing off.

So now, three fun and crazy rugrats later, we continue our endeavours to fill our hours of boredom (HA!) or our desires to let our minds be entertained with more active and creative pursuits. With our lovely MAC and a dvd player, we carry some of these "burdens" by watching movies once or twice a week.

So what other reasons could I possibly need for the reasons behind not having a television in our home? Well, the list is long but here are a few:

- We now have an excuse to be even more social and have "Amazing Race" parties at friend's houses. ;)
- Our kids aren't subject to a babysitter that oh-so-subtly teaches them all about the newest and coolest toys, videos, etc, etc, etc, etc, etc, etc, etc.
- It creates opportunities to spend time with my family in more face-to-face encounters.
- Think of all the money I save on cable/satellite.
- It provides more opportunity to sit here and write more blogs like this one. ;)

I know many friends who have televisions and are able to sustain the self-control needed to turn it off. Most of them also don't have cable. I do miss the occasional sitcom or "watching" the latest news. Yet, when it really comes down to it, filling my mind with - let's face it - the urge to want the status quo that Hollywood would have us desire, is not what I want for me or my family. I remember watching "Friends" and wishing I was skinnier, more funny, prettier, more this, or less that. Is all that worth 30 minutes of entertainment each night? It's not that we aren't bombarded by it enough everywhere we go.

I'm not saying we can or should escape it altogether. We do have the ability in us to ignore some things... but, bring it into our homes each and every day or every night and expect to ignore all those subliminal fixations for what we do not have?

I'm not sure this girl can.