Monday, March 11, 2013

10 Month Update - The End is Near or The End is Here?

So...I hate to disappoint anyone who was very interested in the TV-Free Experiment, but I think after 10 months of TV-freeness, we're officially done.

I was feeling sick and worried after our car was broken into and our house key was stolen in Detroit on Friday, so we turned on the TV to just zone out, feel "normal" (and keep an eye on the front door) on Saturday. On Sunday, I watched some of the news and Celebrity Apprentice. Today I watched the Kwame Kilpatrick news coverage.

The good news - I don't think we'll ever go back to cable TV. We've discovered there's so much else to do to entertain ourselves in more lasting and fulfilling ways. But over the air TV, we'll still watch, especially the news which we've really missed.

This challenge has taught us alot, and though I'm somewhat disappointed that I didn't reach the goal of a year, it was really just a nice even number that I picked randomly. There was no reason to pick a year. 10 months is just as good, and frankly, I've learned there are GOOD things about TV...like being informed, and like being less stressed, that I want again. I now understand why us humans like our TV. It is definitely a way to decompress. As long as I keep it under control and don't go back to my old ways, I think it can be a good, informative thing.

Looking forward to catching up on the local news, and watching some cooking shows. Otherwise, I still have plenty of non-TV activities to keep up with, including taking care of my garden when spring finally hits - a project that I started with the TV -free experiment and the one thing I believe will stay with me for many years to come.

Thanks to all who supported the idea. If any of you watched as much TV as I did, I encourage you to try giving it up for a while. Even if only for a few weeks. It does reset your priorities. I realize now that missing a TV show isn't the end of the world. I realize now that not knowing who got voted off whatever reality show isn't a big deal. I realize now how much more I can get done during a day without the "mandatory" TV time.


I also realize that there were people who were vehemently against giving up TV. People who couldn't understand why I would do this. People who thought that I was somehow dissing them because I was choosing not to watch TV. Interesting feedback from about 90% of my friends and family, which I believe says more about them than it does about me or this experiment. 

A HUGE thank you to my husband for tolerating this experiment for 10 months. I suppose we could have stuck it out for another two months...but I also feel like I accomplished what I set out to accomplish. Truthfully, I probably realized there were so many other things to do about a month in. I'd learned my lesson halfway through. The last few months were really just to see if I could go a year. But lately, it seems like a contest that no one cares about but me and my husband. No one asked anymore. No one offered to have us over to watch the big game. Our social life didn't change much. Instead, we simply learned more about how little TV is necessary but how nice it is to have every once and a while. 

Perhaps this is the little addict still talking inside of me, but just knowing now that I can turn the TV on if I want to makes me feel less stressed. Given that it doesn't cause me illness, doesn't hurt me physically or anyone else, and isn't a crime - I think a little bit of TV addiction in my life is okay. 

I'll check in after a few months and try to critically look at my life before and after. We'll see if we stick with 10 channels or if we completely revert back to old behavior. I don't think we will...but it will be interesting to go back and read my early blog posts and see how we're doing. 

Thanks for reading and happy viewing..