When talking to my friends I sometimes sense a sort of an envy, in terms of: “Well, you manage to live such an inspiring, intense and versatile life. You travel a lot, do all these various things, lucky you…” And I think about it afterwards; what is it that makes all the difference?
Well, one thing that contributes immensely is definitely my wife, who keeps researching, opening doors and dragging me towards new horizons. There’s no way of being a couch potato around her. And yes, I admit, it is also me; I myself truly want to explore life, spread my wings and breathe freely in this existence.
Yet, the other day I realized there is also one very very simple thing: I don’t watch TV. We don’t even have one in our house, because we kicked it out about five years ago. We watch a DVD per week or so on our projector, and that’s about it.
Sounds completely irrelevant, doesn’t it? But let me continue: I just read that in the US people watch TV on average about 4,5 hours per day. In Europe the average is a bit lower, about 3,5 hours per day. That sums up to 25 hours per week. This means more than one seventh of a week spent in front of the TV.
One seventh of life!!!!!!!!!!
With additional 3,5 hours per day we can get loads of sleep and move through life completely relaxed and rested. We can study and complete a MSc in no time, write a book, do the voluntary work, climb mountains, have a perfect permacultural garden, learn to play instruments, build a house with our bare hands, learn languages, walk the dog, have meaningful meeting with people, just sit and play with children… Or meditate and get enlightened in a record time. 
Any of these things will put us to bed in the evening with more fulfilment than if we have watched the stupid TV for these 3,5 hours.
And I don’t want to even go into the questions how much time is, on average, spent on shopping (about an hour per day on average), internet…
Speaking about not having enough time…
If this was our last day on Earth, and we were looking back on our life, what would we be happy with and what would we regret? I bet we would not be thinking: “Oh, I am so happy I have spent one seventh of my life in front of the TV. It brought so much fulfilment, joy and happiness to my existence.”
Hi Robert,
During our sabbatical year, we didn’t have TV, but that’s pretty easy, most people do quit TV when they travel.
Ten days ago, we moved in a flat again, and we decided to give our TV, that had been stored with all our stuff, to my stepmother. She was sooooo glad to have an extra TV so that she can watch series also when she is doing the laundry. And we were soooooo glad to get rid of it!!!!
And we were talking about this just yesterday evening, how we don’t miss it and enjoy much more our time! Although we were already far from watching it 3.5 hours a day, we realised how easy it is to eat in front of it or rest in front of it to “relax”, while it is in fact not relaxing nearly as anything else (merely resting, or reading a book, or going for a walk, or making love, or meditating, or calling a friend, or giving massage, or playing games etc.). Not watching TV much and not having any at all makes a whole difference. Be it only in the way the living room is set: it is no longer physically centered on the TV, and that changes the whole atmosphere of the room.
I can only support this choice of kicking the TV out for good and invite everyone to do the same.
And yes, Robert, you are very lucky who found Marjeta, you complement each other so well!
Comment by Anne-Claire Chene Geffroy — October 8, 2009 @ 2:26 pm
PS: it doesnt matter much for this, but it was to my mother-in-law and not stepmother. My parents are still married together!
Comment by Anne-Claire Chene Geffroy — October 8, 2009 @ 2:27 pm
We don’t have television but, I have to be honest, I have been watching a select few shows online…except those “select few” turned into 20!
You’re right.
Comment by Hayden Tompkins — October 8, 2009 @ 8:51 pm
Engogirl said she’s looking forward to seeing your permaculture garden
As for the TV thing, I think you’re throwing out the baby with the bath water (no motherhood statements from me!). A TV isn’t much different to a book of any other kind of media. The real issue is the quality of what one exposes themselves to. I’m currently in Italy and I find it easy to see why TV can be written off, wholesale, judging by what is on the TV here.
The same people who watch junk TV are the same people who read junk books or use their time in equally low quality pursuits.
Comment by razzbuffnik — October 10, 2009 @ 8:58 am
Anne-Claire: yeah, we indeed complement each other well. And isn’t that great: you are happy for kicking the TV out and somebody over there is happy to have it…
Hayden: oh, sounds like the story of my life – how a brave plan about a few changes into 20… Happens to me all the time. Must be a virus or something. Perhaps voodoo magic.
Razz: well, give me a decade or two and I may very well end up with a permaculture garden. TV: I see the TV as standing out a bit from other media; it is made to get people intoxicated and passive. It is also too easily accessible, with the remote controls and hundreds of programs. So what mostly people do is to sit and browse through all the channels, over and over again. I would not compare TV to junk books – perhaps to the yellow press.
Comment by Robert — October 10, 2009 @ 11:29 pm