Living without television is a doozy

I once convinced my parents to let me stay home alone for an entire summer just so I could spend it watching Nicktoons.

It was this thing Nickelodeon was doing during the summer where the characters from “Spongebob Squarepants” talked about shows like “Rocket Power” that were playing. It was Heaven for me at the time. Looking back, I cringed at that wasted summer.

I didn’t make the permanent decision to live without television until early 2016, when I was living in Wyoming. It eventually hit me I had spent a good majority the first quarter century of my life sitting in front of that glowing, voice-generating cube.

I caught wind of the 1993 film “Groundhog Day,” starring Bill Murray and Andie Macdowell. In the movie, Murray’s cynical character found himself living the same day, every day with no end in sight. He used the opportunity to learn as much about his female co-worker as he could and tried to get her to be his companion. But he failed countless times.

Eventually, Murray’s character devoted his time to developing as many skills as he was interested in. Skills including memorizing French poetry, playing the piano, ice sculpturing and even knowing the right places to go to in town to catch kids falling out of trees. At a party he attended, he found himself the object of a bidding war from a bunch of ladies, won by the coworker he originally wanted.

That’s what I wanted: to get away from the television and develop my skills.

Since that happened, I was able to run in several 5K and 10K events, read several classic and contemporary books, learn how to grouse hunt with my dad, write a short story and several poems through online graduate school, learn how to drive a semi-truck and learn the best way to stock beer in an organized fashion.

If I ever felt the urge to watch television, I found myself going to a bar to watch the MLB postseason or other sporting events. YouTube channels are also a tempting substitute, as well as renting Family Video DVD’s.

The point is: life is too short to not develop the skills you always wanted or live the lifestyle you always fantasize about. Sure, television can be important to watch breaking news regarding car chases or to have Super Bowl parties. But when every day turns into that sort of a party, isn’t it considered a waste of time?

That first step toward life without television may be a difficult withdrawal phase, but I’ve felt my life has been better because of it.

Watch out for that first step. It’s a doozy.