Last Friday marked an monumental day in my household, well at least for my kids. It was on that day that we (meaning my wife and I) cut the cord. Not in the metaphorical sense of releasing another child to the wild (although that is coming), but in the sense of cutting the cable television cord in two. Ah, the power rush that came shortly afterward was indescribable. I may live to regret the decision later this winter on those cold days when Mother Nature has forced me inside to stay, but for now, I'm pretty well satisfied with myself.
To say that the decision (one that was made due to a combination of economic, time-management, and simple value vs. cost assessment reasons--was met with the same enthusiasm and acceptance by my children would be a flat-out lie. To the contrary. A near mutiny almost immediately erupted upon spreading the glorious news. Riots. Chaos. Threats. One daughter openly (and with complete sincerity) questioned the sanity of her parents. Another daughter, the youngest in our brood of children, keeps pointing the remote at the television in an attempt to Pause the live programming. Apparently, today's technologically savvy youth can't comfortably make a trip to the bathroom without temporary halting what's onscreen. Admittedly, even I have felt the absence of those hundreds of channels accessible at my fingertips. On at least one occasion, I found myself looking forward all day to watching something that night, only to be reminded with a seemingly mocking reply of "No Signal!" on the blackened TV screen that the channel no longer exists in my household.
Now, to say that those living in my abode are completely without ample viewing options would be misleading. We aren't. Not by any stretch of the imagination. In addition to having an Internet-connected DVD player that's capable of streaming movies and television programs from Netflix, Hulu, Vudu, and other services, we still have access to 18 or so digital stations thanks to a pair of HD-quality antennae I picked up for $20 total. So, beyond PBS, NBC, CBS, and ABC stations all in HD, we have a surprisingly healthy supply of church-, Latino- and ad-supported stations to sit back and enjoy.
But the hits keep on coming. Anyone with a bit of Internet intelligence knows there are all kinds of free content available online, including movies, documentaries, kids programs, videos, and more. So, with a simple cable connection from one of the notebooks present in the house to the HDTV, we're in business for watching anything from "Sanford & Son" re-runs via Crackle to the local news in Honduras if we so desire. And have I mentioned the vast amounts of goodness waiting at the ole' public library?
Personally, I'm hoping life sans cable television helps gets my butt in gear to do more reading and writing. More guitar playing and learning. Take a college course or two. Do more building and creating. Do more exploring, hiking, home improvement. See more art. Hear more music.
I suspect once my kids get over the culture shock, they'll do the same. They'll adjust. I believe they'll be better for it. At least that's the plan.
To say that the decision (one that was made due to a combination of economic, time-management, and simple value vs. cost assessment reasons--was met with the same enthusiasm and acceptance by my children would be a flat-out lie. To the contrary. A near mutiny almost immediately erupted upon spreading the glorious news. Riots. Chaos. Threats. One daughter openly (and with complete sincerity) questioned the sanity of her parents. Another daughter, the youngest in our brood of children, keeps pointing the remote at the television in an attempt to Pause the live programming. Apparently, today's technologically savvy youth can't comfortably make a trip to the bathroom without temporary halting what's onscreen. Admittedly, even I have felt the absence of those hundreds of channels accessible at my fingertips. On at least one occasion, I found myself looking forward all day to watching something that night, only to be reminded with a seemingly mocking reply of "No Signal!" on the blackened TV screen that the channel no longer exists in my household.
Now, to say that those living in my abode are completely without ample viewing options would be misleading. We aren't. Not by any stretch of the imagination. In addition to having an Internet-connected DVD player that's capable of streaming movies and television programs from Netflix, Hulu, Vudu, and other services, we still have access to 18 or so digital stations thanks to a pair of HD-quality antennae I picked up for $20 total. So, beyond PBS, NBC, CBS, and ABC stations all in HD, we have a surprisingly healthy supply of church-, Latino- and ad-supported stations to sit back and enjoy.
But the hits keep on coming. Anyone with a bit of Internet intelligence knows there are all kinds of free content available online, including movies, documentaries, kids programs, videos, and more. So, with a simple cable connection from one of the notebooks present in the house to the HDTV, we're in business for watching anything from "Sanford & Son" re-runs via Crackle to the local news in Honduras if we so desire. And have I mentioned the vast amounts of goodness waiting at the ole' public library?
Personally, I'm hoping life sans cable television helps gets my butt in gear to do more reading and writing. More guitar playing and learning. Take a college course or two. Do more building and creating. Do more exploring, hiking, home improvement. See more art. Hear more music.
I suspect once my kids get over the culture shock, they'll do the same. They'll adjust. I believe they'll be better for it. At least that's the plan.
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