As I sit here typing this there’s an award show going on. I didn’t realize this until somebody else mentioned via social media that they were watching. I was never so wrapped up in the cult of fame that I felt the need to track these awards or anything that went along with them. Yes, I’ve watched them from time to time in the past. Yes, some of the movies nominated for this award were fantastic films. Some of the winners of various awards should have handed them back in shame rather than accept when the more deserving entrant was sitting there clapping politely.

Sports on the other hand, sports I always paid attention to. I hadn’t missed a Stuper Bowl in decades. Despite not really caring for baseball I would keep one eye on the Sox just to see if they were going to beat the Yankees this year or not (Yankees suck!). Same with the Celtics and Bruins. Other sports were bonus material. I’d pick up notes about tennis, racing, big names in golf, anything really.

Then we cut the cable in our house.

It’s been over 2 years now since we shut it off. I almost feel like I should be going to some kind of meeting. Television is an addiction. I didn’t realize it until lately. I was depending on the box in the corner to provide something to me and walking away was difficult at first. Even now I feel the pull. I’m drawn to settle into the passive state of watching the colors flash by, listening to the magic of sound effects. There’s no significant difference in the product over the past 2 years. I suspect many would agree that the product has actually declined in quality while becoming more abundant.

I missed the stupor bowl this year. Most say I didn’t miss much – the game was terrible and the commercials weren’t as tantalizing as years past. I felt like I was outside looking in on something. I was near the party, I was invited, but I didn’t have a way to get there. *Everyone* was talking about it. In the end, I’m not sure I really missed much. I heard the chatter, caught up with the best commercials after the fact and watched the highlights from the game during an on-line sports report. I acquired the same information if not the “enjoyment” factor… but then we had dinner guests that night and I found the company of friends much more warming and fun than sitting and staring at the flickering colors of a flat channel that doesn’t care about me more than how many dollars they can squeeze out of my pocket.

Television is gone. I might slip back now and again to broadcast channels, but I don’t see cable coming back… ever.