I disabled the TV on Monday. My children had pissed me off beyond words. Grades and attitude were at an all time low. In the course of one half hour I unplugged the cable box, reset all the computer’s passwords and locked down the hand held games. The Wii is no in a box along with all of its games taped with the Dad equivalent of crime scene tape.
Clearly I should have taken these actions sooner. Since switching off the box I have made my way through another 30 pages of Swann’s Way. The kids have completed assignments that they have been dilatory about and the woodstove has been working overtime. Watching the flames flickering is a more than adequate replacement for the pixels of plenty. How long this can last I don’t know but it sure is refreshing.
Proust is very weirdly beautiful. Not having the sensory short circuiting of TV allows me to read at leisure with the cat in my lap. About the only thing missing is the wine and croissant. To experience his depiction of the appearance and existence of a cathedral’s steeple for page after page and have it remain interesting is a delight. I even had to look up a word, benignant. Kind and gracious, a good word to know this one.
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