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Our boys sitting around
The Black Box in our camper. |
I wonder if television is rotting my brain, turning it into mush. The black box’s draw is especially strong on long, stressful days. I sit before it, like an altar, fixed on the screen seeking relief, an escape. At such times, I’m drawn to crime dramas, stories of strong female leads that triumph over crisis, and comedies. Laughter is the best tension reliever after a difficult day. Its instant, mood-changing quality eases tight muscles. Who doesn’t love laughing until you cry as your bladder threatens to burst?
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| Blue Jay @ feeder |
Yet without restraint, I let the black box become a brain sucking, time devouring machine. Serial programs hook you and pique your interest as commercials peddle the latest must-have products. If you prefer, like me, stations such as Showtime and HBO without commercial interruptions, you likely sit around the box longer. At least those stations don’t require me to endure the awkward ‘male enhancement’ ads.
I found myself ignoring my favorite pastimes and hobbies in favor or the black box. But, I had nothing to show for my time at the end of the day. So, I opted to enact NO TV days (for myself) allowing only a radio or an iPod background noise. What a miracle happens when I do this! The beauty of Mother Nature comes alive, doing her best healing work on me. I made homemade suet cakes from leftover bacon grease, peanut butter, and sunflower-rich birdseed. I sat around the windows waiting to see how my recipe would be received. Woodpeckers and blue jays swarmed the suet feeder devouring the first suet cake in a single day.
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| Fall Maple Leaves |
As I watched the feeders the day of my suet experiment, I also saw goldfinches line up to munch on thistle seed. Cardinals, nuthatches, sparrows, and pigeons snacked on my homemade seed mixture (a big bag of cheap seed mixed with a medium-sized bag of black sunflower seed). Watching these natural joys and dramas filled my weary, tired soul more fully than anything found on the black box.
Later in the day, I hopped on our 4-wheeler to go around collecting kindling for the fireplace. I found gigantic Maple leaves to press flat and frame for Thanksgiving decor. I stopped to watch a flock of 20+ wild turkeys jogging through a grove and a herd of deer crossing an open field. I spied the rotting carcass of a coyote. I smelled the fresh, woody scent of pine trees. I collected fallen pinecones.
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| Our Northern Sunset View |
In an unfarmed section of field, tall, tan grass with heavy seed heads waved back and forth in the breeze. As the sun descended, the horizon transformed the landscape with a spectacular blend of turquoise, yellow, and amber. The falling temperature made me grateful for the headband and gloves that I’d brought along. As I headed back to the house, I felt alive and rejuvenated. I hadn’t missed the black box one bit.
