I’m not entirely sure (yet) how to explain it. We moved to
Madrid, and suddenly there are more hours in the day. I know that the 24 hour
clock doesn’t actually change anything since the morning/afternoon 12 hour
division is exactly the same, but something is definitely different. The fact
that the sun hangs around until 10:30 pm and provides an intrusive wake-up call
each day before 7:00 am is probably a factor, but I still think there’s more to
it. We are more active yes, but there are many more events to attend, both
within the theme of my career (networking, branding, guest speakers, etc) and
without it (meetups with expats, rock climbing, rafting, hiking, dancing, etc).
There are dinners to share with friends, strolls to… stroll in Retíro, and
corners of Madrid yet unexplored. Yet there is still one HUGE factor that I
cannot forget.
TELEVISION
Yes, that mind-numbing, munchie-inducing,
cellulite-precipitating rectangle so many of us (myself included) stare at for
hours at a time, like a swarm of gnats flying obliviously into the blue light
of their demise. Thankfully though, I can now use the past tense – I stared at
it. But no longer!
I don’t care anymore. (oh, and my wife had a little
something to do with this by the way).
I don’t care about that new drama series that came out with
that actor that I just have to watch. I don’t care about how many pixels they
can squeeze out of the latest screen tech, how thin they can build the box, how
high they can coax the refresh rate, or how ridiculously bent my brand new $4k+
television can be. Don’t get me wrong, these things are definitely cool but I
have better things to do than sit mindlessly before the TV wasting my time,
energy, and talent.
Tell me something: when is the last time you remember
watching something on TV which resulted in a positive difference in your life?
Be honest! I’m not asking about the time you felt more sentimental and generous
when Ty said “MOVE THAT BUS!” or the time you thought to yourself maybe I
should get in shape as you watched multiple morbidly obese people gasp for air
as their muscles rescinded effort and went into failure mode on an episode of
“The Biggest Loser.” I’m talking about a lasting difference. One that resulted
in a real, positive change in your life. When I asked myself this question a
few days ago, I could not come up with an answer. Not one.
I know there are exceptions. I know that there are a handful
of people out there who could argue the benefits of television viewership to
the ends of the earth. But I bet they’re the minority. I bet most people, in
fact almost all people, if they are entirely honest regarding their affiliation
with TV, will be similarly confounded when trying to find a good answer.
There are good shows, there are good programs, good
documentaries, and films that push the boundaries of the genre and of the art
itself. And they can provide tangible, positive benefits to viewers that range
from self-improvement to the exhumation and stimulation of raw creative
thought. But not during typical circumstances. Most of the time people
passively stare at the TV, cognition utterly disabled while they shove
over-processed foods into themselves like pigs being fattened up for slaughter.
I have better things to do now. More exciting, more
interesting things which require my time, my talent, and my attention. Don’t
misunderstand. I wasn’t wasting days and weeks of my life watching TV before. I
had a great job and my wife and I lived in a great place where we enjoyed
hanging out with friends, hikes, museums, sporting events, etc. But those few
hours a week of viewership could have been better spent doing something else. I
know this now, and as you may have been able to tell, I’m bitter. I want my
time back. I guess I’ll just have to make up for it now. Since I haven’t
discovered a method of exacting revenge on a category of inanimate objects,
these long hours of sunlight may come in handy after all.
Still not convinced? Then I have another question for you.
In twenty years what stories will you be telling? Will you be telling someone
about that time that you watched a program about something that somebody did?
Or will you be telling them about a time that you did something?
Think about it. And then destroy your TV.
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