Every once in a while I miss having TV. We have the big black box taking up space in our living room, but the most action it gets is Rowan playing Wii. We haven't had cable or satellite since we move to Valdez nine years ago.
Don't get me wrong, it would be great to veg on front of a sitcom once in a while, but for the most part, I don't even remember that we're missing a staple part of the American household. When we decided not to get cable, our thought was that if we had it, it would be on every evening, whether or not there was anything worth watching. We thought we'd spend more meaningful time together, but in reality I read my latest book and Thane surfs the Internet on the laptop. We haven't changed our minds about TV, however.
I used to get really excited to stay in a hotel because I'd get a chance to see what was on. I've discovered that there's a reason I don't miss it: no matter how many channels you have, it's still all garbage.
Every now and then I realize what I'm missing out on. I never know about the latest natural disaster or political scandal until a day or two after it's happened, and I never know all the details. I realized I'd never heard Sarah Palin's voice until well after she was running for VP (no great loss there) or Obama's until after he was elected president. I learned about Bin Laden's murder from Facebook.
I think I can live with feeling occasionally ignorant or socially out of it, however, if it means I don't have to hear unending campaign rhetoric, incessant advertising, or watch the global spectacles Americans are so prone to engaging in. I'm quite content to follow up after the fact on the stories that pique my interest and ignore the rest.
The only thing I really miss seeing is movie trailers. I hate not knowing what movies are playing in the world outside of Valdez. I guess I can live with that, too.
