TV 
I am one of the few people I know who does not have a TV. It's not that I dislike TV or have anything against it. It's not even because I am making some noble effort to rid my life of all mind-numbing acitivities. It's just that in college I was the one who bought the DVD player. One of my roommates bought the TV; another had all the pots and pans. You see how it works. When I got an apartment on my own, my not buying a TV initially was simply a budget thing. Though I had every intention of purchasing one, I found I could live quite comfortably without. In fact I quite liked that I never squandered an afternoon or evening on a couch in watching images flash buy on the mind-numbing box.

That I could live without TV was not all that surprising to be honest. What was surprising was the charitable concern I received from friends and co-workers upon learning that I did not have one. I once read a statistic that more American households have a TV than have indoor plumbing. This fact seemed incredible to me, but getting rid of my TV made me aware of how much Americans truly do love their TVs. People who had a hard time giving a couple of dollars to the bum on the street corner were offering to loan me one of their four TVs. People were so kind and loving and generous in my time of need. At least I know that the compassion is there. If I ever am truly in need, those around me will be there to help me through the tough times...unless of course I'm a bum on the street.

(OK...so I felt a bit guilty after reading my TV essay. In reality, some of the people who approached me about a TV thought I was in the market for one. And to be honest, I was keeping a eye open. Those people were being helpful. I do recall an instance or two, however, where the person just did not seem to get understand. Despite this, most agree that while owning a TV isn't a bad thing, not having a TV is a good thing. So I believe most people respect my stance...even if they do think I'm a little weird.)