It’s not always bad news…
Reason #43- Television
Mine was the first generation that has been entirely entertained at home by television shows, albeit they were black-and-white when I was a kid. Before that, perhaps unbelievably so, families would pull up chairs to the living room radio and listen to their favorite episodes of Ozzie and Harriet, Abbott and Costello, Burns and Allen, Jack Benny, Life of Riley, The Lone Ranger, or one of hundreds broadcast in the ‘40s and ‘50s. Many of those were the first television series as well, since they already had an audience and sponsors. Soon, though, the vision part of television added a new dimension to entertainment and shows began rolling out for that medium.
I wasn’t planning on making this a history lesson, but I thought I was reminisce for a moment. I vividly remember kid shows growing up, like Rin Tin Tin, Roy Rogers, Flipper, the aforementioned Lone Ranger, Superman, Sky King, The Rifleman, Kukla Fran and Ollie, Sherri Lewis, and a myriad of cartoons (like Johnny Quest, Bugs Bunny, Huckleberry Hound and Mighty Mouse). As I got older, on came Star Trek, Batman, I Dream of Jeanie, Lost in Space, Andy Griffith, Bewitched, Hogan’s Heroes, Gilligan’s Island, I Spy and so many more. There were many genres created for broadcast, with westerns, sci-fi, variety, police and medical dramas, horror, morning and daytime, news, game shows, sports and sitcoms, short for “situation comedies.”
On the road full-time, we have an even better appreciation for a good TV series. Nighttime in the wilderness or in a remote campground has limited entertainment opportunities. There are only so many times you want to sit around a campfire, and we’re often too removed from any nightlife for it to be an option. With the advent of the mobile satellite dish and streaming services, we have just about all the TV we want. We have a nightly ritual of streaming old series, like How I Met Your Mother, Frasier, and In Plain Sight, one episode per evening for two or three shows. It took several months to complete all 13 seasons of Frasier, one show per night.
Besides its entertainment value, television can be educational and cultural, providing insights into people and places you have never experienced. We still get our national and local news via the TV [this may be changing]. Being part of a fanbase can be fun and give you something to talk about to friends, family and new acquaintances. There is no better way to be a sports fan than watching your favorite team on the tube, and, better yet, inviting all your friends and family over to share the experience. TV shows can also help you feel less lonely, allowing you to involve yourself in the characters’ relationships. Watching DIY, cooking and outdoors shows can inspire you to try new things or pick up a new hobby.
Watching TV is also an excellent bonding opportunity for you and your life partner or close friend. It can be a significant shared experience or just a nice enjoyable time, either being beneficial to your relationship. If you sit together while watching, you can have intimate moments and touch, and even with a scary scene, provide valuable physical and emotional support.
You have probably heard the old adage, “Laughter is the best medicine.” Television comedies can improve your health and mental state in this way and studies have found that people feel more energetic after watching nature shows on TV. It has been reported that watching TV can reduce stress and your cortisol levels, high levels of which can cause weight gain, higher bad cholesterol and depression
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Last, it is among the least expensive forms of entertainment, as long as you monitor all of your monthly subscribed service fees. You can easily have more television than you can watch for less than $100 per month.
Whether you are a home body, an avid camper or a full-time RVer, television is a huge safety net against boredom and stagnation of your imagination, and can provide a wonderful source of happiness. Just remember, when it stops being enjoyable, there is an on-off switch.
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The final word in the subject comes from American actor Melissa Rauch, who said, “TV was my life, growing up. I ran home from school to watch television, and even did my homework with the TV on – my mom had a rule that as long as my grades didn’t fall, I was allowed to. So it was my dream to work in television.”
You can find the complete collection here:
https://www.amazon.com/50-Reasons-Happy-Always-News-ebook/dp/B091B72L5X
Trappings of the Years 