Still Playing
Television, once central to my life, is no longer. I go days sometimes without turning on the television. I think it started when I cut the cable cord. Streaming is slightly more complicated. You have to remember what service has what show. And you can binge them, so with one good evening you can consume an entire season. And if you miss a show’s weekly appearance, you can catch up, which means the tune-in imperative is gone.
The death of my late wife also factors in. She grew up with a TV in her bedroom. She brought the habit with her to our marriage. We also had a TV in our bedroom, and in the living room, and in the kitchen. They ran from daylight until dark. Talking heads talked, reruns ran, and game shows gamed. It was the background of our life. I Love Lucy. Family Feud. Keeping up Appearances. We scheduled our evenings around the weeknight lineup. Dallas. Mary Tyler Moore. Carol Burnett. All in the Family. The flickering screen of what was once termed a vast wasteland entertained us.
After she passed, I turned off the re-runs, cut the cable to save money, and took the TV out of the bedroom because I didn’t need it. Not in short order, but over time. It turns out I like the silence. But don’t be fooled, this isn’t a story of salvation and redemption. I simply have a new drug. My phone. I watch videos, read texts, and catch up with social media. My screen time is embarrassingly high. I am still a media consumer. Well trained it turns out. You might say I’m a mediaholic, which sounds like something I might need to address, although it’s not in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5-TR). But it’s probably coming.