My Breakup with TV

When I was little, silence scared me. I needed sounds to keep me company. Not creepy, random sounds that I couldn't control, like acorns falling on the roof, leaves rustling outside, or cars backfiring. (Hey! I'm from GA!) I needed people sounds. If I was busy, the radio was sufficient. But, since I am a visual person, I always preferred TV. We only had channels 2, 5, 8, 11, 17, and 36 back then. The fact that I can remember that is evidence that I loved TV. I knew what came on almost every half hour of the day and what channel it came on. I had my own personal TV schedule. I didn't always watch it while it was on, but it was nice to hear people talking and be able to look up to see them if I wanted to.

As a teenager and now as an adult, I have a very small library of movies that I like to pop in while I'm cleaning to keep me company; Ever After, My Best Friend's Wedding, Shakespeare in Love, Finding Nemo, Jonah and the Big Fish, etc. They are all light hearted, feel good movies, or as some would say "chick flicks". Our friend Ronnie always called them "U rated" (U=uterus). The sounds, the predictability, the feel...they all make me happy. It's an escape. It's a vice. When I was forced to be inactive during my neck injury and surgery, I watched every single episode of The Golden Girls. It came on three times a day, and I didn't miss it. Sure, there were other shows too, but Dorothy, Sophia, Rose and Blanch were my real friends. They were always there when I needed them to make me laugh.

When I was pregnant, I was home alone a lot on days when I was not subbing. I do NOT like being alone. I am an extrovert. I get sad when I'm alone, and get energized when I'm around people. So, while everyone else was working, I had the TV on. It was my friend. It entertained me, taught me, kept me connected with the world around me, etc. So, after Beulah was born, when I was going through PPD, the TV continued to keep me company.
Today Show--until 11 AM, NBC
Cosby Show--11-12 PM, Channel 8
Fresh Prince--12-12:30 PM, Channel 8
Reading Rainbow--12:30-1 PM, PBS Kids
Clifford the Big Red Dog--1-1:30 PM, PBS Kids
Curious George--1:30-2 PM, PBS Kids
Trivial Pursuit--2-3 PM, Channel 10
The Doctors--3-4 PM, NBC
Oprah (because there was nothing else on)--4-4:30 PM, ABC
Jeopardy--4:30-5 PM, NBC
Ellen--5-6 PM, NBC
Scrubs--6-6:30 PM, Channel 8
Deal or No Deal--6:30-7 PM, Channel 12
Jeopardy--7-7:30 PM, NBC
Wheel of Fortune--7:30-8:00 PM, NBC
8:00-10ish depended on the day--Chuck, Biggest Loser, SYTYCD, American Idol, The Office, etc.

You can see why this was a problem. The TV was on from morning to night. If I went into another room to do something, I even turned the TV on in there, sometimes for just a minute or two. It was a compulsion, and addiction. With a schedule like that, there's no time for a quiet devotional or listening to God (*sarcasm*). (No wonder I was depressed!)

As most babies do, Beulah loves the TV. She loves the sounds and moving images. There are certain commercials she will always turn to see, even if she's busy playing with her back to the TV. When she hears it, she turns and watches it. If I want to keep her busy while I try to clean or eat, I put in The Wiggles. She will actually laugh at Dorothy the Dinosaur! It cracks me up!

Sure, this may not be a problem now, but I can see how it could be down the road. Even if we're watching a "kid friendly" show, commercials are unpredictable and sometimes raunchy! Have ya seen the soft porn Hardee's or Victoria's Secret commercials? I mean, COME ON!! Those commercials come on in the daytime when kids are watching TV! And, Lord knows Beulah shouldn't be watching what comes on the TV guide channel! From celebrity gossip to Punk'd to Flava Flav and his brothel! ADULTS shouldn't even be watching that junk, trash, gross, nasty, yucky stuff!!

So, here I am complaining about what comes on TV. But, I have a choice. I can turn it off. Before we had Beulah, we went to some friends' house for dinner. Jeanne and David have two elementary aged kids. The TV was not on, and was not the center point of the living room. Over dinner they told us that they record a few shows that they feel comfortable with their kids watching, and edit out the commercials before the kids watch it! And, they always preview a show before they'll start recording it on a regular basis. In fact, when their oldest was around seven years old, they had a rare night where they watched TV while it was being broadcast. When the commercials came on, the kids said, "What is that? What happened to the show?!" They didn't even know what a commercial was!! We LOVED it! We talked about doing something similar.

I always admired my friend Anna because when I went to her house, her TV was NEVER on. From the time her baby was born (and probably before), she played classical or Christian music softly in the background. She also read her Bible while she nursed and prayed for friends and family with her infant baby. She would say to me, "Me and Hanney (Hannah) just prayed for you!" I was blown away!

My friend Deanna doesn't even HAVE a TV!

So, it's time for a change. After a long and happy love affair, I'm breaking up with TV. Today is our first day apart. I'm sure I'll watch a little while Beulah's napping, but I've downloaded a ton of children's Bible songs, classical music, and other children's music to play while she's awake. We may watch some game shows when Daddy gets home, but I want us to be more careful about what's on, especially now that Beulah's going to be picking up so much so fast.

I don't want to break up. I LOVE TV. Please pray for me to be strong. Pray that God will keep me company. Pray that I'll meditate on the things of God and spend my time filling Beulah's eyes and ears with things that are true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent, or praiseworthy (Philippians 4:8), rather than things of the world. I hope to keep up with the news via the internet. Pray that I won't plunge myself into a new addiction with the computer (which I have done in the past).

And, just for a laugh, this is Beulah's favorite commercial. Go figure! I'll have to let her watch it on the computer from time to time just to make her smile. :)

Is This Your First?

When I was pregnant, this was one of the many questions strangers frequently asked. And, now that I have a baby, people still ask. I didn't think about the implications of the question at the time, but since becoming a mom, I've realized what a loaded question it is. A simple "yes" or "no" provides the interrogator with loads of information.

A "yes" tells them that...

*you can't fully understand what you've gotten yourself into, because you haven't been there yet.
*you're probably scared to death because you have no idea what you're doing.
*you will be walking around for the next several months like a zombie and your house will be a mess.
*you may not get a warm meal for several months.
*you will not shower as often or be as well groomed for a while.
*the dog's hair and breath will bother you more than ever before.
*the decor of your house is about to change, as is the amount of clutter.
*because of the clutter, you will likely start to dream of a bigger house and car.
*your cabinets and toilets will soon be locked down tighter than Fort Knox.
*what you play in your DVD player and on your iPod will change.
*you'll talk, sing and dance in ways that you never intend other adults to hear or see.
*needles (shots) will make you cry again like they did when you were a kid.
*your bills will increase and your priorities in making purchases will change.
*who you spend time with and what you spend time doing will change.
*your ability to "fly by the seat of your pants" will come to a screeching halt.
*you will turn into your parents.
*you will have to be intentional about maintaining relationships with friends that don't have kids.
*you will have to be intentional about maintaining a relationship with your spouse.
*your idol--SELF--will be exposed, as you're faced with the reality of your own selfishness.
*you will be humbled when you realize that you CAN'T do it better than EVERYbody else, and YES, that CAN happen to you.
*you will be on your knees for another person more than ever before.
*you will never care for, protect or defend anyone more in your life.
*your whole life is about to change...for the better.
(and most importantly...)
*you will have more joy and love in your heart than you ever thought possible.

A "no" tells them...you already know all that. Next time someone asks me, I think I'll say "no". Ha ha!