About 1 month ago, I cancelled my digital cable because I was tired of paying Comcast $120/month for internet and cable. Anyone who ever complains about money needs to cancel cable, at a minimum. The cost is ridiculous, and if you can't find another way to fill your time without feeling empty you have problems larger than money to address. Actually, and I won't get into this much, but I think everyone should spend at least 1/2 hour each day in silence. You don't have to sit and think, you can do dishes or sweep or take a walk or whatever, but for 1/2 hour each day, you should be alone with yourself. You should think about your day, or your dreams, or your lover, or politics, or your children, or the world, or whatever - but just give 1/2 hour each day to your mind. Turn off your radio, turn off the tv, and just be for a bit. I want to say I won't count walking because that provides external stimulus (depending where you walk the stimulus changes but it is still there), but I figure it's a start. Besides, we are all getting fat so walking for 1/2 hour is probably good on a mental and physical level. I have, at various points in my life when I have been unhappy for any number of reasons, made myself do this. For a minimum of 1/2 hour, I sit and think about whatever pops in my head (sort of like writing this blog actually). At the beginning, it was hard, the time dragged, I had to build my mind up to it. Through this and other experiences, I firmly believe the mind is a muscle and needs to be exercised to stay fit. Through these exercises, I rediscovered (or recreated?) my ability to entertain myself, to understand myself, to be alone with myself and realize and truly believe that was enough. With time, I gained a much better understanding of myself because the same daydreams returned or the same concerns popped up or the same ideas kept re-occurring. With time, I can focus my mind more quickly and move through more ideas in 1/2 hour, although it is still nice to just let my mind wander. I have seen other ideas where people recommend writing for 10 or 15 minutes a day, whatever is on your mind. Same idea, whatever works for you. I think we all need to be comfortable with ourselves first and until that point, we will never be truly happy with anyone else. We may build dependencies, but they are unhealthy dependencies. It is great to be in love and depend on another person, my point is you need to be comfortable with yourself first.
Speaking of first, I am way off topic again. I can sit in silence for 30 minutes but I can't write for 5 without wandering into the bushes. I'll come back now. Eliminating digital cable means I now have about 40 stations, approximately 30 of which are various public access or smaller local stations. The interesting thing is this prevents me from channel surfing for 4 hours at night, so I spend more time writing this blog, or reading, or writing other things, or doing something else for me. It makes me engage myself in my life, not a passive bystander. For me, that's what I need to do but to each their own. Anyway, I just found a news talk show hosted by an announcer named Tavis Smiley. I have heard Tavis Smiley before on public radio and I have always been a little up in the air on how interesting I find his program. In an effort of full disclosure, Tavis Smiley and his radio show (rather, the ones I have heard) often focus on problems facing "Black America" (NOTE: I say black not African American because I have had a number of Caribbean friends tell me they are obviously black so it's not offensive if used respectfully, but they don't feel any connection to Africa). I am not black nor am I from or largely involved with "black cuases" (quotes added because I obviously suppor equality, I am just not involved with it. Oh forget it, I know what I mean. I'm using Tavis Smiley as an example tonight, don't read to much into it), so part of my issue with him may have been he discusses issues that do not effect me directly. However, I humor myself as empathetic and somewhat aware, so I do listen. Anyway, I listened to him interview Bill Maher and it was interesting, it was a more open side of Tavis I haven't seen before. Has he become my favorite journalist? No, but it was another side of him I haven't heard before on the radio. It was interesting.
My point is I would not have watched that program if I had 223 other stations to watch. I would never have gone to peace corps if I never sat myself down and wondered what I really wanted. I would never have done a lot of things without trying to figure out what would make me happy. I don't care what makes you happy, I just want you to understand what it is. If it's mindlessly watching Fox News and voting republican, then do it (remember, 2nd Wednesday of November is voting day). My point is we get caught up in our lives, and I've been there, but we need to make an effort to escape. The next time I see Tavis Smiley on TV, maybe I'll watch it and I'll learn something. Maybe I'll learn something mare than if I watch a basketball game or Law and Order or a Simpon's re-run, or maybe I won't. Then again, maybe I'll ignore the TV for the entire half hour and try to figure something out for myself. You never know, I might even come up with an idea to fix our tax code.
2 comments:
Great post, Dylan!
I find myself using TV/radio/other traditonal media less and less. It's great, too. I can't stand how it pollutes my mind.
An old babysitter of mine always told me that if you get bored then you don't like yourself. I think she's got a good point.
But so many people can't function without cable. Or radio. They get bored, they need to be constantly entertained. It's a sin.
I was a teacher at an extremely rural high school where most students commuted alone in their cars. One week, I cancelled assignments and asked them instead to turn off the radio during the commute. They were game. By Friday, it was like having twenty different kids.
Nice point, ol' hoss.
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