The TV

My dad has always had a fascination with TV.  Yes, I have been on a ladder outside the house helping him adjust the antenna.  We had to have it just perfect so we could get all of the 4 channels we had without any lines.  Yes, young'uns, we had 4 channels if we were lucky - ABC, NBC, CBS and PBS.  That year when we started getting what was channel 21 in our area was a big day.  Our televisions had knobs and you had to walk to the really big box on the floor and actually turn the knobs to change the channels.  Some TVs now do not even have a way to change channels without a remote.  Oh, and let's not forget how we had to adjust UHF and VHF.  Weird stuff that!  To make it even worse for all of those not use to these kinds of TV issues, cartoons were only on Saturday morning and if you did not get up to watch them then you missed it.  So there were children everywhere up watching TV on Saturdays while their parents stayed in bed getting some extra rest.  That was how we learned to make our own breakfast.  

You know there was less TV watching back then because well, there were less channels and more work to change a channel.  Also, news was at 5pm and 10pm and no self respecting kid wanted to watch those so they had to be outside playing, doing homework or finding other ways of entertainment and none of them including video games.  Video games were at the arcade until Atari came out.  Atari was my downfall.  Pong was mind numbing and I had one game where I had to pick things up into a space ship and I played that game until my parents had to pick me up and take me out of the room.  

By the way, our TVs back then with only 4 to 5 channels were huge!  I actually helped my dad change a tube in one once.  Seriously!  They were pieces of furniture!  I did not get a TV in my room until I was 16.  Other people got cars, I got TV.  I loved staying up late and watching Johnny Carson.  It was mostly entertaining but honestly it was just because I could.

All in all so much has changed since then.  I do not have one TV in my house now but 5 of them.  Everyone of them is a flat screen with crazy remotes.  It is so sad that in our living room, I have a remote that is setup via computer to access not only the TV but also the satellite box and the Blu Ray player.  How in the world am I expected to get up and turn those on and change channels and all of that!!!!!  We also have DVRs in most rooms.  Come on how lazy is that!  At least with VHS, I had to program the thing with a list of 10 instructions just to get the clock to run.  My aunt was one of the first to have that wand thing for the VHS where you could use your TV Guide (remember those) and scan the info to record.  It was way cool!  Pressing a button now to record sometimes appears difficult.  

We are so spoiled!  Maybe I should go back to getting up to change channels and turn the numerous boxes on and off.  Might lose a little weight that way.  Or maybe I should just turn it all off and go get on my bike like I use to and enjoy the outdoors.