I'm out of control. My television blew up Sunday night. There was a big pop and the smell of burning wire. I thought it was a power outage, but all the lights were on. I could see my neighbor's television working. Mine wasn't. It died. It's gone. Somehow, it had become an important item in my life. Gone. No news programs, no favorite shows and no more Netflix movies. No more sit-coms, no more sports and no more weather reports. Sans TV. I threw the control out the window.
How did it come to this? This was my comfort zone in this world of economic turmoil, wars and broken dreams. This was one control I had left to elevate my psyche, my personal lifestyle, my alterations of moods. A person could lose a lot but still look forward to viewing their favorite program every week. The baseball season is starting, and it's already over for this fan. What's a man to do?
I know what I'm going to do. I'm not going to fix my television, nor am I going to buy another one. I may not ever see another commercial again. I'm going to the library and check out books. I'm going to go out with friends. I'm going to write letters to people I love. I'm going to read a lot of newspapers until they fade away. I'm going to spend time thinking and facing the dragons and demons in my life. I'm going to work on personal relationships until I get them right. My plan is to enjoy the outdoors in the most beautiful area of the world. I'm going to live without the control of television.
I love my family and friends. I'm going to start enjoying them again. Especially now in this crisis in America, I love my job because it's not work. I love living because it's not death.
I believe we should all get closer and enjoy the things that matter. We can do this. We can take back control.
Nice talking to you ...
(Mr. Millspaugh lives in a log cabin and works in the forest.)
