Day 3
August 30, 2009
I really wrote this on the above date. I wrote it the old fashion way. There is this thing called a pen and this stuff called paper. It is way cool stuff.
My cell phone went off in the middle of Sacrament Meeting today,. Ya. Awkward. Tamera said she wasn’t sure whose phone it was until she saw my face. I am a Delta Rabbit through and through. I even glow school colors when I get embarrassed.
There is a reason I need less technology in my life. I’m amazed at the variety of technology use and lack thereof in my circle of friends and family. One friend has never had cable tv, and another couldn’t begin to imagine life without it or why I would want to try it.
I’ve had friends tell me that I am throwing out the baby with the bath by giving up television. It just doesn’t seem like there is much baby left in the murky bathwater these days. I do miss the home improvement programs and the before and after how to clean your house. This morning – instead of flipping on the tube, (typically, in our previous cabled state, I would have BYU Television’s voices of wisdom wafting through the place on Sunday mornings), I flipped open a book. It was The Freedom Writers. I read more than half of it before I heard the call of the wild. (Three frantically hungry little boys).
These young people living in the warzone of LA’s ghettos spoke of the emptiness of their lives. The abuse and neglect, racism and hopelessness was disheartening to say the least. Education, particularly English literature – is what opens their eyes to their own power. They identify with Anne Frank’s struggle. They see themselves within the pages of The Color Purple. Because of the strength in the stories, the youth of a classroom of rejects are empowered.
I saw a teenaged couple in the store yesterday. The boy was jokingly cuffing the girl. She was giggling at his “play”. It made me angry.
It also made me want to do more to serve the youth. I wanted to tell that girl not to put up with that kind of treatment. I wanted to tell the boy that his greatness is not proved by his show of power over someone with less physical strength than he.
I wonder if anyone ever told either of them that they are God’s children.
My adorable neighbor came over again this morning. Her name is Brady. That isn’t her real name but of course I must protect the incredible adorability of neighborly five-year-olds. She frolicked on the trampoline with the boys and joined in their animated book of Mormon video.
She is so adorable.
Would I think that is she interrupted a television program I was engrossed in?
Day 4
August 31, 2009
Things that kept me from blogging yesterday and today:
· Hosting visiting friends and family.
· Brianne took my keys with her to work at Famous Footwear across town
· After I got home from drivin across town to get my car keys, (took my visiting cousin’s car), I realized Brianne had my laptop in her car.
· I took Christian to the ER because he whacked off the top of his thumb in his third grade classroom today…with a pair of SAFETY SCISSORS no less!!
· Unable to get to the coffee shop
· Internet down at the coffee shop once I finally made it there through the demands of husband, children, construction and traffic.
I’ve made a new rule for myself in connection with my self-imposed blog. I will NOT get caught up in a pattern of self-loathing if I am unable to blog daily. As long as I actually write something about doing without cable, I’m still filling my quota of blogginess.
Day 5
September 1, 2009
This morning Christian said his favorite breakfast was pancakes and weapons. (What can I say? We have interesting breakfasts at our house.) I told him if he was Typhoid Mary pancakes WERE weapons. Doug piped in that Typhoid Mary made pancakes for “Lutenel” and I think he was warming up to sing a rousing rendition of Bloody Mary is the Girl I Love. I found myself explaining the difference between “Bloody” and “Typhoid” Maries.
· Typhoid M was a woman at the turn of the last century who worked as a cook and spread disease inadvertently. When told she had to quit working as a cook she ignored the authorities because of her lack of education and understanding and eventually was imprisoned.
· Bloody M was a character in South Pacific who wanted the white Lieutenant to be seduced by her Polynesian daughter.
Then I realized I knew who Typhoid Mary was because of the history channel. Chalk one up for throwing out the baby with the bath!
I guess my quest is to figure out how to get the most out of media without putting up with the garbage.
(later)
Since my cousin is in town I had a partner in crime and movie viewing. We went and saw The Time Traveler’s Wife. I have to wonder if the idea for the book, (which I read years ago), came from a doctor’s wife. He disappears at the drop of a hat too and isn’t there for big events occasionally. I can’t complain too much though. At least Doug has a specialty that is easy on families.
I know. Movie viewing is just another form of brain dead entertainment that you pay for a movie at a time instead of monthly like cable television. The point of my experiment in cablelessness is not to avoid ALL braindead activity but to enhance my life with the good stuff.
It was a good movie. Made me appreciate my hunny.
Day 6
September 2, 2009
Sunday morning I listened to a Truman Madsen tape about the life of Joseph Smith. Truman said that in 15 years of marriage Emma moved 12 times. Lucky Em. Moving would be easier if I retained the same bad habits of the past. Like television.
Doing hard things builds integrity. Man is it hard to move.
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