Diversions

People have been all abuzz –anticipating the return of our favorite shows. And now, it’s upon us! Premier week! No spoilers here, I promise. One can only imagine how great expectations have motivated many of us to hustle in preparation for the awaited hour -lunches made for the morrow and the kitchen cleaned up. This past Monday night at eight o’clock, sharp, there I was settled in my comfy chair in front of the TV to hear the announcement, Live from Hollywood – It’s Dancing with the Stars!  After two hours of pure entertainment,  my other favorite, Castle, followed. What can I say? It’s just plain fun & I’m all for having fun.

And sometimes, let’s be frank - one just needs a little diversion. Last week – if you can believe it ––I watched Here Comes Honey BooBoo.

Yes, its’ true. I have a confession to make  - here was a deliberate ploy to avoid some other more worthwhile undertakings. Thoughts in my head had been flipping around like some pin ball machine that day and I felt the need to just veg out.

So, what did I think about Honey Boo Boo? 

Who has time to watch this stuff? Does anyone really care?  After the show, I wasted even more time and surfed the internet to shed a little more light on what I had just viewed. One article stated, “Here Comes Honey Boo Boo has become more than just a reality television show. It has become an important slice of modern American culture.” Say what? Personally, I’m not wanting to have another slice of this American pie. I’ve had my fill. Thank you very much. I’ll draw the line and say pooh pooh to Honey Boo Boo.

Even so, I don’t want to spoil your fun if you’re into that show…

I’m just speaking of my experience here.

There are times I enter into an evening of entertainment with a keen awareness that if I give in to too much electronics I could slip into some kind of commercialized coma and lose my balance. Such was the case Monday evening after all the suspense of Castle. I was an insomniac into the wee hours of the night. *sigh* Just like that, I lost a healthy rhythm of sleep.

I have to be careful, then, as I settle into the new season of my favorite shows that I not get slain with entertainment that dulls the senses and kills the spirit. It’s interesting to note that the TV section of our local newspaper is called DIVERSIONS. That very word gives me pause and I can’t help but be reminded each time I scan the listings for shows that I might enjoy, that I do have a choice to do something that will soothe rather than ramp me up - like read or knit. As I reflect on this, I wonder how often my decision to plunk down in front of the TV is a form of escapism or worse, sabotage.

So, I ask myself a simple question, and invite you to consider - with no intention of spoiling anyone’s evening of entertainment and fun  - why am I turning on the TV? Is it time to turn the thing on or off?

(google image)

Well, on Monday night, I for one, will be turning on the TV to simply enjoy some good plain fun and (in my opinion) some well scripted drama. What's your favorite this season?