indulge in some quiet time

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Now, here's where I take a moment to admit that when I said I hadn't watched TV for six weeks, I didn't mean to say I hadn't watched any TV shows. I've caught up on Queer as Folk and sated my Six Feet Under hankering; I've snuck in a beloved Buffy episode or two as well. I haven't had access to a TV set, sure, but thanks to the wonders of DVD laptop technology, I've been able to watch some of the medium's best offerings without tuning into an actual TV at all. Late at night, after our hosts have gone to sleep, the boy and I have indulged our media needs aplenty, sliding a DVD into the laptop, slipping on the headphones, and watching our favorite shows.

Still, it's just not the same. And what I think I miss about having a real TV is that feeling of connectedness that I get when I know that I'm not just watching alone. There's something kind of nice about imagining that I'm sharing a laugh, a cry, or a snarky thought -- not just with the boy, or my friends, or whoever might be sitting in the room with me, but with the countless other strangers who happen to be tuned in to the same channel, at the same time, as me.

So it's been a nice enough six weeks, living footloose and TV-free, full of reading and conversation, evening strolls and quiet time, all those good old-fashioned activities that nourish the inner soul. But, see, TV doesn't have to take away from any of that. If anything, it makes my world a little bit broader, a little bit richer. And yes, a little bit better.

Which is why now that I'm in my own place, at last, I'm really excited to report: I'm going TV shopping.

o 

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