I think I was ten years old when we got our first T-V. I remember watching Howdy Doody, The Lone Ranger and Tonto, and Dale Evans and Roy Rogers on that little black box. My brothers and I crowded onto the couch with our popcorn or a bowl of cereal and enjoyed the time together. I remember the big flowers on the wallpaper in our living room, the snowy background on the T-V set, and just being amazed that these characters came alive in our simple life each week.
As I got a little older we enjoyed American Bandstand, Dragnet, The Ed Sullivan Show, and some of those crazy game shows. It was a time to relax, laugh, and even cry over the circumstances presented…many times as real as any kid could believe. If I was home alone, babysitting my younger siblings, for some reason one of my favorite things to watch was Alfred Hitchcock. Sometimes I would get so scared I couldn’t get out of that old rocking chair! But then I would do it all again a week later after the younger kids all went to bed.
It seems we all have favorite things to watch. My sister would choose the Hallmark channel. Most of the men in our family like to see a good football or basketball matchup. In our house every Monday night, my mom claims the T-V and watches Dancing With the Stars. Much of my family has encouraged me to watch This is Us on Tuesday evenings. I have to admit it is habit forming as the story line continues from week to week. The way the show flashes between earlier years and the present keeps your interest.
Truth be told, I would rather use my T-V for a good movie rather than a weekly sitcom that is loaded with commercials. I get so tired of the endless promotions of drugs, with the side effects seeming much worse than what is being advertised. Or the ads that come on regularly over and over, pretending that you have never seen them before.
Lately I have become interested in different dramas that are available on Netflix, being able to watch one or more episodes at a time, with just seconds in between with no ads. It is so relaxing, and it really feels like you have been entertained by the time it is over, without being stressed over all those runs of commercials. I really enjoy the series that are based on true events, and it seems like I learn so much from them about history or events in a different time period than I have experienced.
In the last few weeks I have become interested in a drama set in the 1950’s and 60’s. It is based on the memoirs of Jenny Worth, who was a young midwife living in East London. Call the Midwife enfolds throughout each episode chronicling the lives of a group of midwives, all young gals that are colleagues with nursing nuns. The stories show life in the poorest section of London, and how their presence not only helped bring needed medical care, but a peace and joy to many of the struggling families of that time. The stories are real, full of passion, and very well written. It is enlightening to watch and learn how procedures and traditions came about and changed through the years.
Whatever you enjoy doing to relax and get refreshed, I hope you take some time for yourself. Have a great first week of October!
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