When I am in a bar or some kind of social setting speaking with people I hardly know, inevitably a television series is mentioned to "break the ice". I explain that I do not have a television and consequently I have not watched the series they have mentioned. What follows is generally an awkward pause and their facial expression is as if I have personally slapped them in the face and stomped on their pet cat!
After the initial shock has surpassed I am bombarded with a myriad of questions. What do you do with your free time? How do you know about news events? ...
After the initial shock has surpassed I am bombarded with a myriad of questions. What do you do with your free time? How do you know about news events? ...
Whilst owning a television I used to sit on the couch for 3 (or more) hours in the evening and achieve nothing but watch one show after the next until finally I would go to sleep. My routine was built around specific television shows and although I felt unfulfilled - it was just what people did, right?
In 2010 I made the decision to reverse this and I cut television out of my life completely. Initially I sat on the couch blankly and thought to myself "now what?". What I found is that I stopped making excuses for the things I wanted to do but weren't and gradually I found that the excess time allowed me to explore myself and the things I truly loved.
I began cooking delicious meals, I started going on walks and exploring the wee nooks and crannies that Melbourne has to offer, I started drawing, cuddling up on the couch and reading amazing books of literature. I swim at the beach during summer, I took up Kite Surfing, I taught myself to knit and to sew and I am learning a foreign language.
Although I learnt many valuable skills I also noticed it made me more grounded as a person. I stopped shopping and spending my money on materialistic objects, I began learning about the world around me objectively but most importantly I stopped comparing myself to the socially perceived images of perfection displayed on the screen.
I learnt to love myself.
Television was like a bad relationship and I'm glad we have broken up. What passions would you love to explore if you had more time?
In 2010 I made the decision to reverse this and I cut television out of my life completely. Initially I sat on the couch blankly and thought to myself "now what?". What I found is that I stopped making excuses for the things I wanted to do but weren't and gradually I found that the excess time allowed me to explore myself and the things I truly loved.
I began cooking delicious meals, I started going on walks and exploring the wee nooks and crannies that Melbourne has to offer, I started drawing, cuddling up on the couch and reading amazing books of literature. I swim at the beach during summer, I took up Kite Surfing, I taught myself to knit and to sew and I am learning a foreign language.
Although I learnt many valuable skills I also noticed it made me more grounded as a person. I stopped shopping and spending my money on materialistic objects, I began learning about the world around me objectively but most importantly I stopped comparing myself to the socially perceived images of perfection displayed on the screen.
I learnt to love myself.
Television was like a bad relationship and I'm glad we have broken up. What passions would you love to explore if you had more time?