TV - The Idiot Box

The idiot box phrase began somewhere between color tv without a remote when 'Lost in Space' was a date weekly not to be missed and PBS was just starting their kiddy programming in the mornings. One with the alphabet and number learning I already knew, so I was bored and stared at something else. This is all when it was really still safe to play outside, with anyone or be outside alone and wandering with the dog. The idiot box was her consternation about abandoning real life and its experiential learning. The idiot box phrase entered my mother's mind and came out her mouth to me as a child and as a teenager. Now, I wanted to say it to her. "Turn off that Idiot Box and get a life!" Yet, she had the full tilt, news to sports, music to history channel cable tv on most of the daytime. Radio reception was moderate for variety, but the TV was always on. And my mom began to parked in front of it each waking hour. Fully outfitted for leisure with the telephone nearby, cup holder, side coffee table and the remote control. Entranced by the cooking, home-making shows it became our conversation sharing touchstone. It was a place to wave our flag of commentary how they were doing, just like she did before they invented that new fangled machine. Then I caught myself, and didn't say, 'turn off the idiot box,' because she already knew she should. Yet couldn't get out for real experiential living. It was her window to travel, health, mechanics, absurd people and lifestyles, psychology and coaching, movies and news. I would watch my mother absorb the terrorism, the natural disasters, the financial debacles and ask her about the latest news when I got home from work - in summary form. "What happened while I was working?" And I would be brought up to speed on the world I missed while I was out in the world living. I wondered who had the better in this life?