TV, you've been good to me...

They say admitting you have a problem is the first step to dealing with the problem. Well I am seriously enamored with TV. There I said it. I find my day is not complete until I sit down with a remote in my hand and mindlessly scroll thru the channels. Pathetic to some I know, but it is a ritual that is deeply ingrained.

My addiction started as a child. Our family bonding time involved TV, not playing a board game, TV. My first real recollection of watching TV starts around my early elementary school years. At the time, we lived in a large house in Kirkland, Washington. This house had 5 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms, Dad’s office, 2 storage rooms (one of which was our play-house room), kitchen, living room, large rec room, and the hallowed TV room. The TV room’s furnishings centered around a large wood-encased console TV (and yes, we really did call it the TV room). We didn’t have money for real furniture, so the room contained a few really ratty chairs, covered in sheets, and a patio chaise lounge that was strictly for my Mom’s seating pleasure.

Each night at 8:00 we would go down to the TV room to catch whatever was on that night. I was allowed to view until 9:00 at which time I obediently headed back upstairs to brush my teeth and go to bed. To this day, I can still remember some of the schedule. Monday night was Little House on the Prairie. After Little House, M*A*S*H was on. When I got a little older, Mom let me stay up until 9:30 to watch this one–I think viewing that show helped form the start of my sarcastic-humor-coping mechanism! Tuesday nights was Happy Days and Laverne & Shirley (controversial for some, but our family loved it). Thursday nights was The Waltons. As I write this, I can remember the opening theme songs. Special weeks would involve a mini-series of some sort. I can still remember when Roots first aired. During that week, I was allowed to stay up every night until 11 to watch. Remember, this was a time which pre-dated the VCR and cable! Our family bonding time also included bedtime snack. I laugh when I think about that. Snack generally consisted of a bowl of popcorn and a glass of Coke. Yup. Amazingly my Mom let us have the caffeine infused drink every night RIGHT before bedtime. I still remember the bowls that the popcorn was served in...it was an old aluminum salad bowl set that Mom and Dad had received as a wedding gift. The large serving bowl (which doubled as our ‘barf bowl’ during flu season) was Mom’s and each of us 4 kids got one of the small salad bowls filled with the buttery popped kernels. A really special night involved Jiffy Pop! Some nights involved a bowl of ice cream with chocolate syrup, but a glass of Coke was always a staple. Ahhhhh memories!

Today, I must admit, I still enjoy this evening ritual, although it is generally by myself.. I find that at the end of the day, this time to completely mush out is needed. However, lately I find that I really miss those good old shows and that predictable schedule. I understand that now I have cable with a host of choices, as well as that really special feature ‘On Demand’, but its just not the same. I never know what is on when. Then, it seems that 99% of programming involves ‘Reality TV’. Seriously, I have enough reality in my week, do I really need to watch it during my relaxation time? And yet, I find myself strangely drawn to these reality shows. Is it because it helps me to feel that my life isn’t quite so messed up? Is it that escape from MY reality that is intoxicating??? I don’t know. What I do know is that my day doesn’t really feel complete without sitting down for a few minutes in front of my flat screen and scrolling thru the channels. Pathetic? Yes. Ritual? You bet. I enjoy the escape and I’m not afraid to admit it.