This evening, tired from driving and sleeping poorly the previous night, I watched two television shows. Headline news? Hardly. But unusual for me. My television watching has always been quite limited, particularly when I’m alone (yes, HA is still gone). Once the second show was over, I began wondering what I should do with the rest of my evening. About then, it occurred to me that I had not yet written a column for twoprops.net today. Still, I felt a strong pull to just push a button or two and watch another episode or film. It would be so easy. I wouldn’t even have to get up off the couch. Were I willing to accept the suggestions that the streaming services push at me, I wouldn’t even have to think much.
The truth of the matter, though, is I just don’t enjoy video that much. The content has to be pretty compelling for me to not feel as if I just wasted a chunk of time. Easy? Yes. Fulfilling? No. (Different, I should say, when I’m sharing the watching moment with someone else.)
I don’t feel particularly virtuous at having foregone another show, but I am relieved to be doing some reading and writing instead of consuming with the rest of my evening.
—2p