A Viper in the House?

For cryin' out loud, phone service is going to drive me absolutely CRAZY!! We live under a rock. For real. OK, almost. Really close. Said rock interferes with our life, at least the part of life that requires access to the invisible waves that travel all around (and through us--nice thought, huh) and provide us with things like wireless phone clarity, television reception, FM radio, and cell service. If you call me on the phone and I don't answer, it is entirely possible I am eying my phone (both cell or landline) with sheer terror, dreading the static and dead spots I will deal with in my own house under this lovely rock, and simply choosing not to answer. I really like text....hint, hint. I actually have lots of failed texts because of intermittent lack of cell service, but at least I can't hear static on text.

Anyway, we have switched internet/phone/TV stuff for the umpteenth time. We are always juggling providers to get the lowest prices and it was time yet again. Now, for the former price of our landline and internet, we have cable included. Gotta love the "bundling" craze in these past few years. We would have to pay more to NOT have cable TV. Whaaa??? We haven't had cable TV in years. I am not excited about this. Without cable TV (or really much TV at all), we have the freedom to read, play games, talk, be silly, get things done, or just have some quiet time. I have to confess that cable TV feels a bit dangerous and unwelcome to me, like it might rob us of something good we have here. I have been viewing the TV through narrowed eyes, at a distance, sort of looking at it like I do a gaboon viper behind glass in the zoo. In case you didn't know, I don't like snakes. I don't like them AT ALL. At the moment, the TV is not even on. The doors to the cabinet are closed and I actually can't see the TV. I'm still glaring suspiciously in its general direction.

Can we keep this crazy thing at bay or will it infect us with glazed eyes, slack jaws, stolen family time, lost opportunity to be with people, seared moral sensitivity, no eye contact with each other, lack of beneficial reading time, prayer-canceling noise, ad-induced covetousness, and just general poison? Ask me how I feel about TV sometime. You probably can't tell....Maybe I've listened to too much Chip Ingram, John Piper, or maybe I've just lived my own journey of what life without TV looks like.

I honestly don't believe the TV will rule our house. We are not willing to let go of the good we have found in this TV-less place. We still get to decide when to turn it on. It's just a little scary. It's a little too much mind-numbing temptation just sitting there, available at the touch of a button.

Unrelated Tip for the Day: Should you ever decide to try the Brain Integration Therapy program I am using with my kids, Toby Mac's "Hey Devil" song is the perfect tempo for the cross crawl exercise. I guess they are probably missing out on any possible Mozart Effect from this particular song choice, but it works very nicely.