What my TV fast taught me

Well, it's over, and none too soon. Sunday was a great day for TV, as I was able to catch parts of the IronMan World Championship 70.3, the Paris Marathon, and Paris-Roubaix. But, I am thankful I decided to fast from television during the Lenten season, and here are some lessons I learned:

1) I can read a lot more when I'm not watching TV. Though I'm not an avid viewer anyway, I watch most of my TV in bed. Which is also where I read. During the fast, I never failed to read my bible, even one day.

2) It's hard to know what's going on without TV. Someone would ask what the weather was going to be like, and I had to confess I didn't know.

3) Even with 200 channels, there's still mostly junk. That's why we're cutting back on our DirecTv package. That, and they raised our bill $3/month this month. Sorry, guys. Really bad timing.

4) I'm very prideful. And I need to be a martyr. Whenever someone asked me, "did you see such and such last night?" I felt the need to say, "no, I'm fasting from TV right now," or some such nonsense. I was not happy with myself about that, and if you were on the receiving end of my holier-than-thou attitude, I'm sorry.

5) I don't need TV... but I like it. There were days where that's all I wanted to do when I got home... yet I survived without it.

Now you know. So, you don't have to try it. I think next year, I'll go back to giving up caffeine.

I'm thinking of calling it, "All work and no TV make Steve something something..."

Go crazy? Don't mind if I do!

So, I'm now at day 6 with no TV, and honestly, it's been generally easier than I thought. With minor exceptions. For instance, yesterday I get home after a long weekend, working mostly, and I just want to crash and watch the US Indoor track and field championships, or some other mind-numbing piece of drivel to unwind. No such luck- no TV for lent.

Instead, I'm getting lot's of reading done. Just finished Lauren Winner's book, Real Sex. Very interesting read about God's creation of and plan for sex. I'm also getting some running in, with 11 miles on Friday and 7 on Sunday.

Jury's still out on which is better... the me with TV or without.