Return of TV means less time with friends

Posted on 28. Feb, 2008 by Archivist in Life

Sean Fitzgerald
Life Editor

Sometimes, a lengthy vacation makes you realize that you can’t go back to the way things used to be.

A few weeks ago, picket lines dissolved and storylines improved as members of the Writers Guild of America ended their four-month strike. As the writers returned to their computer keyboards, networks promised new episodes of popular shows. A resolution was found, television was back, and things will soon return to normal.
The truth is, I’m not ready for television’s glorious comeback. Wasn’t life without it kind of nice?

Instead of planning my Thursdays around new episodes of The Office and 30 Rock, I formed a band and organized rehearsals for those nights. Instead of cutting our phone conversations short for Grey’s Anatomy, my girlfriend was able to talk to me without any McDreamy distractions. And instead of leaving the dinner table to watch the latest installment of House, my parents could eat their chili at a leisurely pace. When we all lost interest in television, we gained more interest in each other.

Since my brother and I had less to do in the evenings, we found time to shovel the driveway together. And if we really needed to enjoy some visual entertainment, YouTube was a short click away.

While it might have been a scary thought at first, the absence of  television turned out to be a pleasant extended vacation. Now that we’re back from our trip, I’m not sure what to expect. Will my band break up because Steve Carrell is back in my life? Will I have to schedule phone calls around my girlfriend’s fondness for a one-hour medical drama? Will my parents gobble their chili and then suffer heartburn as they run to catch the opening credits of House?

While I’m happy that the writers found a resolution, I’m not ready to resume my position as a couch potato. I’m going to try and ignore the glowing box in my family room, and I urge you to do the same. Instead of easing back into your favourite spot on the couch, take your buddies out for a late-night tobogganing session, plan a summer adventure with your significant other, or dial an old friend after tracking him down on Facebook.
And when you find out about new episodes of The Office, please keep this information away from me. The temptation is just too great.