As I type away on my computer, my son Benjamin sits on the floor with his best buddy, deeply engrossed in making business deals as they try to outdo each other in realty investments via Monopoly’s Philippine edition. They seriously consider their choices while engaging in passionate discussion about rates, mortgages, acquisitions, etc. Then there is silence for the most part of the game to give way to wise decision-making and considering options.
The game has been going on for the last two and a half hours! These boys are nine- and six-year-old kids! When our television set was still working, the children would have normally been entertained by Sponge Bob, etc. This time though, they are busily computing the money they have earned in their investments and seriously considering their next venture. Before getting down on the floor, Benjamin managed to play with our three doggies for about half an hour, do advance work for his schoolwork and had already done his homework. He then plans to play outdoors with his buddy.
For the last few weeks, I have marveled at my son’s various creations using recycled paper, branches he found outside, and household materials to fashion them into different things. Among his creations are a sophisticated slingshot that doubles as a bow & arrow, moon buggy rocket made of used paper and a cork, origami airplanes, a fortress, a gigantic bow & arrow made of bamboo sticks and several meters of large rubber band.
Personally, I have nothing against watching television. I’m a recovered TV junkie myself, who used to watch Tagalog movies and all the shows that were ever produced in the limited channels (there were only four choices!). I know that there is a tendency to get hypnotized by the shows that are shown on TV that one forgets about other areas that may be developed in the absence of such a technology. For example, I instantly became a bookworm when my mom offered an alternative to my television watching addiction. She gave me some money to buy books and voila! I was hooked to reading, which gave me a whole new perspective in life. This was out of my mother’s concern for my lack of physical activity and social interaction when most of the kids my age were enjoying time with friends and were productive in various sporting events.
When my mom sent me to the United States for high school, she had me live with her best friends who were very much into organic living. I had zero TV for four years! During my first few months, I thought my head would burst with the silence that pervaded my everyday existence. As the days passed by, however, I learned to listen to what was around me and I was astounded with what I began to be sensitive to. Since we lived at the very top of Pacific Palisades in California, which was just by the Malibu Canyons, there was a rich jungle by our backyard that was home to coyotes and different species of birds and animals. I learned to distinguish their sounds and became more respectful of my surroundings. I began to appreciate listening to classical music as it was what was constantly played throughout the day while my uncle busily typed away while writing scripts for Hollywood shows. We engaged in countless discussions at the dining table and devoted a lot of time doing chores, drowning ourselves in books and lots of creative activities. My aunt created jewelry, cooked sumptuous meals, and dabbled in painting amazing abstract works of art. Okay, so that made me a bit biased in my views regarding the presence of television in our home.
Good thing my husband, who loves to unwind by watching television, agreed to have only one TV set in the house. That way, we could monitor what each one watched and then limit our viewing so that we have ample time to spend bonding with each other as well.
Our television eventually conked out and it was down and out for the past three months. I have postponed having it fixed as it seemed like a major problem has to be addressed. The thought of paying a fortune for its repair made me want to consider buying a new one, but there were more important priorities that needed my attention so the TV was inactive for months. My children complained about not having to watch their favorite shows. At the same time, they thoroughly enjoyed each other’s company and engaged in various endeavors. My husband suffered major turmoil from not having to watch the championships of his favorite wrestling in the UFC. Instead, he was able to catch up on his reading and ended his evenings earlier. As for me, I enjoyed peace and quiet at home where the sound of the birds thrived, which was music to my ears.
The television set miraculously resurrected and for three weeks now has been a-OK but only to my knowledge and that of my son Benjamin. We were able to keep it a secret for three weeks! Eventually though, its back-to-life existence was found out, but then it was not such a big deal to have around as everybody had more important things to do. Now, everybody is happy. No one feels left out of what’s happening in the real world. We feel connected in the outside world but more importantly, we are connected inside our home and that is what matters most.
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E-mail author at: mommymaricel@gmail.com.