That being said, moving to a drastically different timezone on the other side of the world has thrown off some (ok, a lot) of my regular routines. One of these seems so insignificant, yet is worth mentioning: my television viewing schedule. I definitely do not consider myself a couch potato, and I am fairly confident that I watch less tv than the average American. Still, at the end of the day when the baby is finally asleep, my husband and I often enjoy a relaxing tv session (usually one of a few prerecorded series).
Although this country does feature a lot of American shows, we've been disinterested in most of the programs. As a result, the most amazing things are happening: instead of watching TV, we have had more opportunities to pray together, and have been reading to pass the time. As a whole, our evenings have felt more peaceful and more directed towards the Lord.
In writing this post, I became curious about how much tv the average American watches. My researched revealed the magic number of 28 hours per week!! Can you imagine what we could accomplish with an extra 28 hours in our week? Could this be a reason why our relationships are struggling? If you do the math, that comes out to two full weeks out of our year. (In case you are wondering, Australia is not too far behind, with 22 hours per week).
I am not at all writing to tell you that you should not watch television. Rather, I have found myself in a place to reevaluate my habits, and more than anything I am curious about how you manage your "viewing" hours. I heard a challenge recently for newlywed couples to refrain from owning a television for their first year of marriage. I can imagine many graces coming from this decision! I've always known that in the future, when my baby gets older and we enter the stay of "family life", we will have to make some big decisions about the television's role in our home. Now I am beginning to think however, that as young adults we presently have many opportunities for growth and for distraction... So which will it be?
4 comments:
I'm with ya, Squinks! While my husband and I have "bonded" over our common love for certain shows and entertainment, there's no doubt that we grow more when away from home together or in situations where we talk to each other more, read more, and pray more. Thanks for these thoughts!
When we got married, my husband and I decided to not have a TV. Well, we did, but it lived in the closet until we gave it away. It's been a huge blessing in our lives, and forces us to not only to have real conversations everyday (even at the end of his 12 hour shifts) but also to be more active and spontaneous about going out. I would definitely encourage anyone to try it. (Plus, ER is over, so really, what's the point?)
That said, getting rid of the tv is not going to fix everything. I have a friend who grew up without one and ended up getting into some really dark things through a late night radio program. Also, if Bishop Sheen were to come back and do a show, I'd be creeped out, but probably get a TV. (Or at least look it up on the internet.)
Squinks, thank you for this. I have for a while been thinking that I will give up TV. I don't really watch much of it but I think it is time to cut out even the little I do watch. This final push is just what I needed. TV free world here I come.
With the exception of So You Think You Can Dance of course. That is time well spent.
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