Letting go, part two

Here's the first large thing I've let go. My television and DVD player. This baby was the shit in its day, although it obsoleted quickly. I found it on the curb, only cost a couple dollars to fix, it was just a wire. It was cool to have the VCR and TV in one compact unit. I never bought video tapes, they were too bulky. I watched many movies for free from the library. I always hated going to the video store. Too noisy, and too much pressure to watch the movie quickly. Cable TV was a waste of money for me, so I turned it off years ago. I've never actually been a TV viewer. The only show I remember following was the Brady Bunch. I've never seen Seinfeld, nor Friends. I hate the manipulation of episodic TV, don't tell me where I have to be at 9:00 on Monday. I've never watched the news. Talk about manipulation. I don't like being told what to think. In COM 101 we called it agenda setting.

I'm a movie buff, though. Netflix is an answer to a dream. I watch what I want, when I want. No pressure. Since I watch movies on my computer, the TV isn't necessary. It's funny, for years I have dreamed of living without a TV. I hate the way it ruins a room (although flat screens look much better), and I've admired those few friends who lived without it. Yet, when I let it go, I felt a twinge of sadness, go figure. But my apartment does look a lot airier.