Television has made us lazy. There, I said it! I know it appears that I am throwing shade at T.V. watchers, so I apologize in advance. I apologize to myself because I watch way too much T.V. I feel lazy. I know that there are other things I could be doing, like exploring creative outlets, reading, spending time with friends and family, heck, and even playing.

Remember when most families didn’t own a television. If you wanted to watch something, it was an event. Family and friends gathered to watch shows like Ed Sullivan, the host of musical talent like the Temptations, Diana Ross and The Supremes, The Jackson Five, The Beatles and James Brown. Parents and children gathered around the T.V. to watch and celebrate the event; then it was over. We returned home and continued doing whatever we had to do. We still talked about it for days. We had something to talk about. We weren’t bombarded with repetition.

Remember when Michael Jackson’s Thriller video came out? It was an EVENT! Even in the age of the sitcoms, it was one or two nights that we stopped what we were doing and “watched our shows,” mainly the ones portraying characters that looked like us. Even, the “Oprah” show was a 4pm event. I need to return to making television an event as opposed to allowing it to become central to my entertainment, and being consumed by all the breaking news.

I remember as a child playing outside until the lights came on, and riding my bike down Ernroe Drive, the wind whipping my hair. I joyfully reflect on playing cards on a picnic table in my neighbor’s backyard. I recall walking to the lake with a picnic basket and blanket in hand. We’d sit on the grass for hours occupying our time by playing with bugs or sticks and throwing stones in the water. Television was an after-thought, something that my grandma watched the Billy Graham crusades on.

I feel like I was lighter, and  freer. I think even childish fights and arguments were invigorating.  I felt more aware and certainly more alive, more connected. Today, what comes through that super-sized black box is often negative or non-sensical. I feel like I am being manipulated by “influencers” and opinion talk-shows.

I am going back to T.V. being an event. I will reserve my screen time for specials or series that interest me. I am setting a new intention, selective T.V. watching. I will seek alternative ways to get my news, and devote more time to reading books and visiting museums and spending time outside. I am looking forward to getting my energy back. I am giving up the lazy living, and lazy thinking the result of too much T.V.