unconventional life

Some of my family members recently came for a visit. This was a BIG deal as getting here from there is time consuming and expensive. Also, they would be our first out-of-state guests to stay in our home. As I prepared for their visit I realized how "unconventional" our lives are.

I was thinking of what will make their visit most comfortable and how we would spend our time. I planned some fun things, then tried to imagine relaxing time in our home. We only had one bed, a limited number of chairs (not enough for all guests), no coffee maker, and most importantly - no television. That one was the kicker. What does the typical American do at the end of a busy day? Come home, kick off their shoes, and turn on the TV. 

The visit was motivation to remedy some of this. I bought a bed and some dining chairs. I borrowed a coffee maker and an additional air mattress. However, the status of a working television in our home isn't changing any time soon. I had a few realizations during the visit related to this status.

While at lunch with my friend Angela, we were talking about the William's family fun nights of old - when I would come over weekly for Chinese food and an American Idol watch party. My (now grown) godson Paul said, "I was surprised anyone lived without TV." I still do, Paul, I still do. While at certain points in life the absence of television was a matter of circumstance...it has become a matter of choice.

My brother, unknowingly, mentioned the benefits of the absence of television during the visit. When home, we spent the time together hanging out. Or as he said, he would probably be more productive or get more sleep without a television. I have found both to be true in my life as a result of losing a TV. I fill my time with reading, volunteering or other projects around the house. I go to bed around the same time and pop up ready to go early in the morning, rather than staring mindlessly at a show until the wee hours and feeling unrested in the AM.

Sure, there are some consequences to not having a TV - when there is something I want to watch, such as NBA finals, it takes some effort to make that a reality. Or, there are certain pop culture conversations where I am clueless since I don't know many new products due to my lack of exposure to marketing, or am unfamiliar with many of the shows. I consider these consequences an acceptable trade off.

What I am also learning, is I am not alone in this unconventional choice. Here is a recent blog post I came across from someone who lives without TV and has seven children. You can read about their lifestyle choices HERE.

just Sheri, resisting cultural norms