Limiting Screen Time

(This was written on the 12th, but finished yesterday)

As we sat around the living room of Amy's place last night, Robyn commented that she's amazed we've gone two weeks without watching TV, but more intrigued by the fact that she doesn't miss it. I feel the same way she does - I have no yearning to watch TV, and have actually really enjoyed the peace and quiet that has seemed to wash over me in the last couple weeks. This feeling of calm can be attributed to a few things, and the cumulative effects of our time so far has caused some interesting changes in mentality.
The most drastic change in our lifestyle has been the activity that we've filled our days with. Travelling encourages (forces?) you to get off your ass and explore the world around you. We've snowboarded more in the last 14 days than I have in the previous 3 years, and when we're not on the slopes we've been hiking, swimming, walking and just playing outside in general. The beauty around us is great encouragement to get outside, but we also sense that the people here are much more eager to get outside and take advantage of any beneficial weather system possible.
We've visited a few of Amy's friends in the area and their televisions are typically an afterthought within their common areas, placed in a corner or under a stack of something, being used as a glorified electronic coffee table. And there is no talk of plasma or LCD, and the only things larger than 30" in the room are the snowboards and skis. We have noticed this as a stark contrast to the usual layout of a family room in Toronto, where the TV is the focal point and the race for the most impressive 'personal theatre' experience is semi-competitive. Here, the focus shits to speaking, laughing, singing, dancing, playing games, and getting to know new people, and it's a very relaxed and inviting environment. I admit that the finances of the residents in Rossland likely play a role in their lack of 'toys', but I also think there is a lesson in that too. Most of the people we've met live lives that revolve around the mountain, and so they typically work to ensure they can cover their basic needs - shelter, food, and functional clothes. Despite a lack of substantial income, everyone is genuinely happy and don't seem to yearn for much more than what they have. There is something quite pure and attractive about the life of a hippy, but Robyn and I understand that it's not a sustainable lifestyle for us, and it's going to be important to find a balance. So you can stop worrying Mom(s).
The limiting of screen time, therefore, has helped us meet new people and feel welcome wherever we go, but it has also allowed us to declutter our minds and focus on ourselves. The correlation may not be as large as I attribute it but Robyn and I both find that, without TV, we don't feel the need to get or have or do frivolous or unnecessary things. Robyn, especially, has noticed that she has no desire to shop or peruse stores, something that she greatly enjoyed in Ontario. Again, it may be a coincidence, but I do think that our detachment from a constant bombardment of advertising has freed us mentally and emotionally from the need to consume. II think this is an interesting possibility, and has given me a bit of a different viewpoint on aspects of society in the GTA. I also acknowledge that this aspect would not be able to flourish if it weren't for all of the great outdoor distractions that this area provides.
So you don't think that I've grown lightheaded way up here on my high horse, I readily admit that logging onto my computer daily to check on the blog, emails, fantasy hockey, and other online realms hardly qualifies me as a devoted screen-free being. I also admit that, upon my return home, I am not likely to park my television on the street corner for the garbage person (or any other opportunistic soul) to collect. I am going to continue to access the Internet to stay connected to people around the world, and I will still watch TV - albeit more sparingly. I have become more aware, though, of the positive benefits that we can receive from closing the computer and putting down the remote control: I can still connect instantaneously with someone across the room despite my dial up connection, and I can learn boundless amounts from a new person that I take the time to listen to, despite their never having directed a documentary. These realizations have been important aspects of me relearning the human component of human connections.
I solemnly swear to limit my screen time.