Why I DON'T Watch T.V.

I was extracting notes from several books I've read, so I thought it would be safe to turn on the movie screen that is central to my living room - the new t.v... I had it on earlier for the U of L game (Go Cards!). I turned it again for the white noise while I worked at night.

The first story that caught my attention was Dateline's report of a sinking cruise ship with live footage of rescuing people before it went under. Every time I looked up, another drastic story freaked me out of old people falling from helicopter ropes to the swarm of the shark-infested sea. I was channeling my Uncle Dick here, because he always pulled me into these stories of international insanity and found a way to laugh. I have a hard time with it.

But then Minute to Win It came on. Now, I know my brother-in-law's deck party had us play such games, but I'd never seen the show. Last night was family night and watching the woman knock off soda cans with rubber bands nearly gave me a heart attack. The stress was too much. Here I am reading about cannibalism, rape, starvation and massacre in Africa without a blink of an eye, but the American television of blowing cups off a table with excess balloon air has me stressed to a max. It will interrupt my sleep for many weeks to come.

Hmmm. America. World. America. World. America World.

The Gods Must Be Crazy and I'm crazy, too. I'm not turning my t.v. on any more. It's too much. I will stick with my books.