Going Underground

That's how I feel about tomorrow... It feels like I am cutting myself off from the world.

Our bishop asked that all the members of our congregation go without TV and video games for the entire week of March 7-14th. He recommended that we consider including computer and texting, etc. The point is to increase our family unity. We are calling it a "Media Fast".

First off, let me say that I completely support everything our bishop says. I know that the Lord has given him stewardship over us and that he receives revelation that will bless our lives. Time and time again, he has said and done things that make me confident that he is in touch with our Heavenly Father. I know he cares about me and my family. And I think every family can definitely increase their family unity. It is amazing how you can be in the same room and really have nothing going on between you.

Andy and I are going to pin down the details tonight, but probably we are going without all entertainment that needs a screen. Goodbye TV, goodbye Wii, goodbye computer games, goodbye Facebook, blogs, and email...

I will admit, this is going to be hard for me. My sister-in law suggested that maybe it's good for our kids to realize that it will be hard for us, so they realize that we aren't doing it to punish them.

Yes, I do use TV to babysit my kids so I can get a shower and have no one underfoot so I can make dinner. Yes, I do use the internet for my news and the TV for my weather in the morning. I am not going to even know who wins the Oscars, because I can't watch it or check the internet for the results. I will miss my Facebook friends and frankly, the noise. Guess what friends, I hate quiet. Doesn't surprise you does it. LOL

I have heard that the first two days will be the worst. I anticipate that I will have to replace these activities with other ones, as any addict will tell you. So I have been brainstorming. I don't have money to entertain my kids, so I will have to use some creativity. My creativity. Hope I have enough. And enough patience to not lose it when someone tells me for the millionth time that they are bored.

I post this in blogland so you know, I will be far away for a week. You can call me, but I won't be checking in electronically. Sounds a little lonely, but I hope the benefits are great. I am going to feel out of it. I won't know about any recent earthquakes, terror attacks, the latest celebrity sightings or gossip... I guess as I think about it, that part doesn't sound so bad.

I am going to hunker down with my family, put on a happy face and see what life was like before people had Tivo, 400 channels, and immediate downloads. (I remember reading in a book once about a town set in the time when people were just starting to get TV's. They mentioned how you would walk down the street and you could see the blue glow coming from the front window and see the silhouettes of heads watching...)

I hope we have a lot of fun and I hope I am reminded how much I really do like these people that share my house. I hope we learn to not be quite so reliant on electronic entertainment. I know that will gain new perspective. (For those of you that took Freshman Biology with me, I am expecting the kind of enlightenment gained from Koester's Mother Earth experiment.)

But the week after, you'd better not call because I will be catching up on all my Tivo. ;) And you'd better all have new blogposts for me to read! Think of me at midnight...