It’s amazing how the birth of a child can change your life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I consider myself a reformed T.V. junkie. I grew up on such classics as the Dukes of Hazard, The A-Team, Magnum, P.I., MacGyver, Three’s Company, Cheers, Night Court, and Knight Rider. I can’t remember living in a home that didn’t have at least one T.V. When I was in high school, I always had a T.V. in my room.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Even after I was married, I continued watching T.V. – Friends, Drew Carey, Dharma & Greg, E.R., Roseanne, Home Improvement, Seinfeld and Frasier. Every night was spent watching T.V. Even getting the Internet over four years ago didn’t hinder my T.V. watching – I just moved the computer into the living room.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Two winters ago, our daughter was born. Now I had babysat before, but of course nothing could prepare me for what lay ahead. Such a beautiful face was irresistible, and I would spend hours watching her. Looking over her. Amazed at her. Her tiny hands, her little laughs, her playing smile.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Before I knew it, two months had gone by. One day, Mary and I were sitting around, visiting and ogling all over Sinead. All of a sudden, we realised it had been over two months since we had seen a single T.V. show.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
What an arresting thought. All these years – decades really – of watching T.V., of always keeping up to date on Prime Time Fantasy, and I had missed 60 days of it. And I didn’t even miss it. Not a single hour. Not a single sitcom.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Well, we thought, if we could go this long, how much do we really need this contraption? So, I unplugged it, wrapped the cord around the box, and snuggled it among the shoes in the closet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
What a wonderful day that was. Now we spend time with each other, with Sinead. We spend time learning, studying, thinking, reading. We spend time visiting with others, establishing friendships. We’ve taken up new hobbies, new skills.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
And now it’s been two years since we’ve had a television on in our home. And do I miss it? Not really. After all, I can still go to my mother-in-law’s to watch Star Trek.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
And to think it was all because our daughter entered our lives.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"