According to my blog counter you have not all completely given up on me. I can't believe that I haven't posted anything in a week. My excuse is that Blogger and my computer got into a fight and I couldn't open a single site for more than three days! I thought it was Blogger because I could get onto a few other unconnected blogs but as it turns out it was my browser playing funny games.
But that only excuses me from three days. I've no good excuses for the other four.
I've been working through the book, "Everything I've Ever Done That Worked" in my spare moments. (Sensational book!) The rest of the time has been spent either: a) going to/ being at/ coming home from work or b) madly scribbling notes for the SIX books that have set up camp in my brain (none of which I am writing yet, mind) or c) socializing or d) vegetating in front of the television.
It's my biggest guilt - t.v. It makes me feel guiltier than chocolate or chocolate chip cookies (my very favorite sweet thing to eat at the moment!) or not exercising or not cleaning my house or not emailing or anything. While I am watching it I enjoy the emptiness of vegetation. I need to be on the go all day long, making decisions for a number of people and making sure that everything is going well. When I get home I know that I should be sitting down at my desk and listening to the characters that are telling me their stories. I know that I could be working on our website. I could be building my own website, working on Sunday Scribblings, writing blogs, cleaning my house, spending time with my boyfriend, the list goes on and on. But sometimes I really like not doing those things too!
How many hours of people's lives are wasted in front of the t.v? Lots of it is wasted time, I know, but is any of it not wasted? Is it okay to want to know what happened to Walt (Lost) or whether or not they found the missing person (Without A Trace) or whether the Diet Doctors can sort someone out before their weight kills them? Should I feel guilty spending time being still like broccoli? Is switching off, enjoying mindless entertainment while cuddling with my beloved a very bad thing?
Does anyone else find the pressure of 'living to the fullest' exhausting?
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15 comments:
Ah yes, living to the fullest, what a lot of crap. We all need downtime, and I love TV! Yes, there is always something else you could be doing, but it sounds like you are plenty productive most of the time.
we are such kindred spirits my dear friend.
yes...we must examine our lives and do all that "heavy lifting" but it sure is nice to relax with some tv too (i LOVE without a trace!)
Megg! You don't have to watch LOST anymore as I can see into the future one TV season ahead (its my superpower) and I can tell you that Walt and his dad are back safely in the US now. They live in the French Quarters in New Orleans where they eat beignets (delicious fried French donuts dunked in powdered sugar) all day long. They have both gained a lot of weight and are trying out for The Biggest Loser's next season. Seriously, I have certain shows like The Office that I just love. Don't feel guilty! Enjoy what you love and find entertaining.
AMEN sister! I feel huge guilt about watching TV, and I feel like I SHOULD feel guilty (but maybe not all the time) because I've told myself for years there are people who create things for others to consume, ie books, TV shows, movies, art, and there are people who sit and consume. I KNOW there are people who do BOTH, and I am one of them, but I still feel guilt -- but I'm okay with the guilt, because it helps me find a balance. One thing that helps is to have "busy hands" as our grandmothers would say. To be a knitter or have some other craft one can work on WHILE watching TV -- when I used to make each Laini's Lady by hand, LORD I watched so much TV!
But permission to relax is good, too. And Meg? SIX books! SIX?????
I am having quite the same problem, Megg. My life is getting so busy and stressed out that I can't wait to just vegetate-- and nothing is getting done, including blogging!
But switching off and enjoying mindless entertainment while cuddling with your beloved sounds like a good thing, not a bad one! :)
I've often been horrified by the amount of t.v. I can watch. My higher minded self doesn't believe it has any value and would rather toss the thing out the window. But really, I love being told a story. Reality t.v. makes my skin crawl, but wrap a quirky, odd story around my shoulders and I'm pretty content to sit and talk to the tube. Now, of course, blogging has shifted my evenings and I still get to be told stories as well as write my own. And Lost starts next week. WooHoo! There's not a thing wrong with cuddling up with a sweetie to watch a little t.v. (It's one of life's simpler goodies.)
I love TV...Gilmore Girls, ER, any type of lifestyle, gardening or decorating show, Desperate Housewives, Lost, the list goes on. I have a few tricks to stop me from feeling guilty.I always have "busy hands"(like Laini) usually knitting socks or scarves and I love doing my ironing while watching TV.When the ads come on I clean up, wash dishes, hang laundry etc.
Many times the only thing I want to do is read perezhilton.com, the best celebrity gossip site in the world, for hours and hours on end. It is so trashy, so frivolous that it manages to soothe my nerves and relieve my stress like nothing else. Well, a good fashion magazine is up there too, but those are hard to come by around these parts.
What is funny to me is that the more of an isolated, serious, humanitarian-focused life I lead (i.e. living in Africa), the more I gravitate toward trash in my leisure time. When we were living in the rural area of Mozambique, we got satellite tv and I used to LOVE the Realite TV channel. Go figure.
As I was reading your post I turned around to see my 19 month old little Lainey cuddled up on the couch with her little legs covered by her blankie holding the remote pushing buttons saying "Max". (Max and Ruby is her favorite cartoon) I guess we all have our favorites, some don't like to admit it but I'm right there with you. I love Lost, Desperate Housewives, Grey's Anatomy.... I even admit I watch Days of Our Lives a couple times a week. :o) TV helps us to relax.. it's not a bad thing.. if you sat there all day every day it might be a worry but sounds like you're pretty busy otherwise. :o) Glad to have you back online too!
i'm a relatively new visitor, and new commenter, but i can totally relate. i got rid of my t.v., thinking that it would help me to not procrastinate, but now i spend hours on the internet...while i've met so many interesting people, i think a balance (for me) might be good.
that said, i think permission to relax is a wondrous thing. we all need to be more gentle on ourselves...
Yes, I did....until I turned 35 and realized that 1/2 my life was over and feeling guilty about watching tv didn't add any days to my life...
then I monitored my tv watching, but watched it for MYself and got rid of the guilt.
lovins...guilt free too :)
xxxdarlene
I can so relate! I love only a fwe shows, like Grey's Anatomy and CSI, but always feel like my life is getting sucked up into the screen when I sit down for too long. Like there is much more I should be doing. Especially when its a nice day out!! Oh well, my brain needs a rest sometimes, so I give it one. Let me know if you find a way to be guilt free on this one!
Hope you are well!
that is indeed an interesting observation.
i am going out to get that book!
i don't watch tv but i do
blog quite a bit...
however i argue in all cases
"it's the user, not the medium"
It was so good to read your post Megg. I work full time and i am constantly pressurising myself to see more friends, do more interesting stuff, learn more, read more, have a better looking house, etc. It is utterly exhuasting trying to balance everything all the time... sitting in front of the TV cuddling up sounds like a great plan to me.
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