A few minutes ago I thought about how we should have played a game tonight--Uno, Scrabble, Boggle, Mexican Train, something. Then I wondered why we have stopped playing as frequently as we have in the past--it seems as if something significant is missing in our family life.
I thought abut it for a while and realized that once again we are becoming captive to the insidious TV--that screen that caters to inclinations to vegetate and put brains on hold--as if thinking and doing demands too much from us. So we trade fun, family interaction, mental stimulation for mush.
The year we lived in Italy we played games most evenings along with family building and interaction. We thrived as a unit that year. One of the reasons, along with just the shared awe of being in a culture that was not ours, was that we didn't have television. Well, we did have it but most of it was in Italian which didn't work for us.
There was news from the United States but since it was Fox News it was so skewed that we gave up on it. After Casey went to bed we sometimes watched CNN and BBC but that was just for an hour or so. Now when we return each summer, we easily fall back into that routine. The TV goes days without being turned on.
So, why is it here that we watch it? Or at least have it on while we multi-task at solitary things--computers, reading, writing. It has been awhile since sitting at the table, laughing and having a good time. It's not that we don't do it anymore, just not enough.
I remind myself that we don't get days back so we must not squander those we have. Memories that will carry us through will come from times spent with those we love.
5 comments:
I totally get that. And I find that we frequently fall into the same trap. If it's not the tv, it's the computer. Sometimes I wonder if we're watching the world go by on tv and not actually participating in it. I've found that when we break away, we don't actually miss it. The world didn't end because I missed NCIS (but I hate to!). Italy can't get here fast enough for me.
I know exactly what you mean about the TV! My nights in the US were planned by what was on the TV. Not here! Although we have Sky and can watch alot of shows in Italian, it's mostly the Discovery Channel!
What's Mexican train??
Rebecca, when is Italy exactly? Wish we were going this year.
Joanne--so good to hear from you. Love your pictures on FB of Sicily. Mexican Train is a fun dominoes game.
Jane- it's June 29-July 15. Not soon enough. Wish you were going, too!
It's an easy trap; lucky for us the TV is in the lower-level family room, which is colder than the rest of the house! Limits the amount of time we want to spend down there! I also have the ingrained voice of my grandpa booming, "What the hellareyou doing in front of the Idiot Box?!" to make me turn it off. :)
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