TV fast results

I'm not a big Lent person. Never did it before. So what possessed me to do it this year I'm not sure... but I decided to give it a try.

A couple of reasons prompted me to pick TV.

• I think I watch far too much TV anyway... it's a big time sucker.
• I almost never binge eat unless I am sitting on the couch watching TV.
• What could I do with all my extra time? It should enable me to be more available to friends and family and God.
• My sister made some offhand comment on Facebook about having given up TV a few years ago, and I was a little envious.

It was worth a try. So, I took the leap!

The first couple of days were terrifyingly awkward. I didn't know what to do with my free time. I didn't know what to do when I needed a break. It was dreadfully quiet when I ate. I felt like I lost my best friend.

I noticed that I didn't really miss any particular show. I just missed the activity itself.

After a week or so it began to feel routine. I didn't think about TV much. I didn't find myself absent-mindedly wandering into the living room looking for the remote.
I did find that I spent more time on the computer. And I have to admit that I did cheat a couple of times and watched online video stuff. It was hard to know where to draw the line.

Part way through the fast I learned that Sundays don't count for Lent. Hallelujah! So I took advantage of that revelation and watched some TV on Sundays. (OK, Maybe a couple Saturday nights, too.)

So today is Easter. What have I learned? Where do I go from here?

1. I'm proud of myself. It was a big "give-up" for me.
2. I learned that there are very few shows that I really WANT to watch... vs just surfing through channels and wasting time. From here on, I have considered the possibility of watching only those shows that I have chosen in advance to watch. I think that would be a much better use of my time, and would give me the occasional distraction/stress relief benefit that TV can provide.
3. I learned that the computer/Internet can be a very convenient secondary addiction to fill in the gap TV leaves. So, for me, a true fast might have to be an all-encompassing "electronic entertainment" fast... in order to get the true freedom and time release that I had been expecting. I may want to make certain days of the week, or certain hours of the day "electronic entertainment free" zones.
4. I didn't do this fast with a specific spiritual focus, therefor I didn't receive any specific spiritual benefit. I am desirous of doing so in future fast endeavors.

Did you do anything for Lent? Leave a comment.