TV Turnoff Week: Update

 *At the very tip top here I'd like to say thank you to the mama over at Unplug your Kids.  It was nice to have the opportunity to participate.  Thank you so much for putting the whole thing together.  

Well,  since everyone who knows us knows we don't own a television, I guess the first question would be why would we participate in TV Turnoff Week?

We may not be watching the television around here but we certainly get more than our share of computer time, which is really what I was hoping to decrease during that week.  I didn't force anyone else (meaning Andy) to do it with me but it seems that we were both more aware of our computer time during that stretch.

My goal was one hour a day.  This included recreational use like doing a blog post (me) or looking around YouTube for Dame Edna scenes(Andy).  That time also included computer use for checking weather and doing banking.  

For most days I stayed between 20 minutes to an hour which I was happy with.  And for Andy, well he never actually committed to participating and I didn't pressure, but I know his computer use was way down for the week.  This is especially true considering his available computer time was way up since I wasn't there hogging the screen each night.

 

What I discovered in the week of being "unplugged" is something wonderful, sad, and exciting about Time.  It just keeps passing no matter what we choose to do with it.  There is only so much of it in a day and when I choose to use that time scouring the Internet for every last piece of information, I find it's easy to lose...balance.  And really,  for me it isn't even just the computer that I let knock me off balance.   I am making choices all day long about how I spend my time.

If I choose a sewing project today then there is no time to catch up on the dishes tonight.  If I choose to do the laundry (wash, dry, fold and put away.  I really dislike the folding and putting away part.) then there is no time to go out and weed the garden(yes, it's that time).  If I am able to make a great effort to accomplish both, then I am distracted from Owen and Carmel and usually missing out on some fun with them and no one can really be happy about that.

So. What to do?  What to do?

The only thing I can come up with is... well, just let the dishes and the laundry go ahead and pile up!  (Oh alright!!  I suppose a little less screen time in a day wouldn't hurt either.)