Yesterday marked the end of my 20+ year relationship with cable. It was not as painful as I thought it would be; all it took was a three minute conversation with a nice friendly operator. Her question to me was, "why are you canceling your cable services?" My response, "for a lifestyle change."
Television is obsolete. In today's media savvy society, everything or anything worth watching can be captured in a 30 second snippet: the girl fight at the Jersey club, celebrities' racists rants, world leaders' speeches for change, the three point buzzer beater at the NBA play offs. So what's the point of tuning in to your favorite shows or live televised events that could go on for 2 hours?
Instead--why not volunteer at a girls' organization with your mom? Read Peggy Macintosh's work and learn about the invisible knapsack. Join a local electoral campaign to raise money for public schools and see your community change. Practice your free-throws and your lay-ups with your buddies at the neighborhood park; if the hoop can be lowered practice your dunks.
Life is made up of an infinite number of 30 second snippets, every 30 seconds we have to make a conscious choice to participate in it or not. It is our choice to face and cherish the present. The alternative? Watch it fly by and live in fear of the future.
Can I survive without cable? Absolutely. Not only can we survive---we can thrive.
