No-TV month

Last month when I moved to new house, most of our belongings were on auction. Old cupboards, Wooden furniture/racks, Sewing machine, Kitchen-wears, Cutlery, Trunks, A/C, Cooler, Ceiling Fans, used/unused cloths and many more. New flat has enough storage place and wall engrave cupboard for 4 of us, so decision to get away from old was an easy and logical. The list was completed without TV and DVD Player.

I'm TV bug. After office hour, anyone could easily find me in front of that screen. Remote in one hand and other hand busy with my Mobile (WhatsApp) or something to eat, and butts rested in black leather beanbag, like a pig in morass. Happy to be there for whole day or night and toggle my eyes between TV, mobile and food as per convenient. There is no specific show I'm fan of so, surfing the channel after channel till I find something interesting to stick with is the primary job till I get settled. Many times I end up with nothing but repeat telecast program or something comedy to change my mood. I was not like this, but changed from last 2-3 years. losing control on program selection, and start tolerating anything that stupid screen shows me. Slowly that box was influencing and stuffing the unwanted information in my brain like frog in boiling water experiment. Frog never understand that water he is enjoying is actually getting boiled till the point of his death. And like frog I was accepting it happily and enjoying as it comes.

It is not only me, my mom is a big fan of all drama, daily soaps comes to the regional language (Marathi) channel. All those Saas-Bahu type story where someone or all get in to an Extra martial Affairs and a typical oddly over makeup actress survive in that situation to get sympathy from audience. All emotional drama is to attach the audience to small screen and my Mom is one of them. I hate all such stories and serials, but I used to follow these because of my mom and wanted an upper hand on remote when I'm at home.

If anyone watch those drama without emotional sense for 2-3 episodes, the person presume what could be in next few episodes. And those serials made me to have such debatable discussion with my mom. For me it was easy to guess and win the bet. All those serials are written by somebody called 'WRITER' and change the story depending on the TRP and availability (dates) of artiest. But I too start falling for their trap to get engage the viewer.

In short me, my mom and partially my wife is addicted to TV screen. Jaisa Baap Waisa Beta, so my son join couch in front of small screen. We were happy when he remember the name of serials, characters or when he dance in front of TV and try to sync his hip with dancers. This was fun for him and new entertainment for us. He start developing his taste and got attached to Cartoon and some stupid animated shows which has no stories or meaning. At age of 3, he was happy to see something or anything on screen to fix on his bum for his food. We never had realized that we were actually feeding his mind with nonsense, not required stuff in his brain at this age. But as typical parents, we never thought of this and praised him for remembering and doing exact copy from TV.

Yes, it was a old and bulky TV set, purchased in 2001-02 from my salary on EMI. But apart from any emotional attach, I love that TV because of the quality of picture and surround sound. I am sure I may never find the quality like that from any new technology TV. I never thought I would sell that thing soon. I knew if I sell this set, then I have to get new LED/plasma TV, which will defiantly create a big hole in short pocket.

Though I won all bets and debates with my mom, while pretending the end of her favorite Drama serials, I lost the debate to keep the TV set in our new home, I was agree that time, but back of my mind was calculating how much I need to invest for new LED TV, 50,000/-, 60,000/- or more. Finally, we sold a TV at very low price to someone whom I know. I made a promise to my mom, get new TV SOON. Cleverly, I never mentioned, How soon? For new TV, I changed the Hindi phrase from 'Kal Kare So Aaj Kar, Aaj Kare So Aab' to 'Aab Se Bahetar, Aaj and Aaj se behatar Kal' Cause Tomorrow will never comes :D

Since we moved to new home, I was pushing my decision to get new TV to Tomorrow. After few days Mom was giving me reasons why to get new TV and I was finding a way to win the debate again. Whenever I feel I am about to loose the debate, I use my white flag from armor, 'Okay, I agree for new TV and will get that SOON' (keeping SOON in my mind for tomorrow). It is not about the cost anymore, I can get a new LED or Smart TV in my budget, but now it is more about the changing habits.

I can feel more positiveness in my drawing room without idiot box, compare to old drawing room when the talking machine was doing nonsense shit from one side to interrupting the harmony. It's noting bad about the TV or programs, it's about bad habits which I and my family had developed in last few years. It was us, who allowing something than nothing in our brain without thinking whether it's necessary for us or not. The over information about everything makes life bored. The life is to know something, but not everything. And seating in front of TV, I was sucking all information and keeping my tiny brain unworthy to think new ideas and topic to discuss with whom are around me.

But last 30 days are different from these routine things. I am having a healthy discussion with my family. We are spending out time to learn, read and talk on many other topics, but TV serials. My son forgot the name of many cartoon characters, instead he gets in talking or do some naughty things more, which we are enjoying. He forgot how the dancers move their hip and do some vulgar moves. Instead he is imagining his own story, try to express more after his school and get involved when he listen story from my mom or me or my wife. He started to enjoy meal more and seat in one place to have his food after physical activities which he tends to doing without TV. There are many small and subtle changed I'm observing and feeling good about that.

Good thing is I have finish 500 + pages book in just 15-20 days, usually it takes more than 2-3 months from my busy scheduled from TV :). I have started spending time on my blog, trying to write something whenever I get a free time. These are small achievements for me, from spending time in front of screen to front of books :). My mind was full of crap, was not stable and busy in something irrelevant from TV shows.

I'm not against TV, but against bad habit due to TV. If you can control on your mind, then same box can turn in to the ultimate source of good information, but one need to know where to stop and how to press Switch-Off button. I'm missing my TV, and many informative channels, like travel, discovery, NatGeo, epic and sports, specially when there is any sport tournament going on live on TV. I just pinch myself to know I'm off the TV.

I'm experiencing, how easy to get stuck and sunk into the pool of bad habits, but hard to come out from that.

It's good to have new habits of No TV. From last 30 days I am pushing my decision to get new TV to tomorrow, but I don't know for how many days I'm gonna do this. Before I could finish the writing in last two days, I had small debate/discussion/war of words with my mom for new TV and as usual I kept my words 'We'll get the new TV SOON'.

I just hope my wife and/or mom is not following me on social network and read this blog. :)

Happy NO-TV month.....