The wind seemed to howl as its strength pounded against our living room window. The sky took on a darker hue as the thunderstorm clouds rolled in and her roar could be heard with a grumble. It proved to be the perfect setting for our youngest son Jase and I to watch a classic monster movie.
The Patterson family has not had cable or satellite for about a year at our home. We have relied on our home movie collection in the event that we want to watch any form of entertainment. My husband Jason purchased me the entire Universal monster collection from the 1930s up to the 1950s for a Christmas present, and the kids and I have made it a goal to watch each and every movie within that collection. And although the movies are in black and white and the effects are primitive at best, they have enjoyed watching the characters come to life on our television screen. From Frankenstein’s monster to the invisible man to Boris Karloff’s iconic mummy, my own children have been introduced to the same characters I fell in love with as a child, against the glow of a black and white screen.
And after we celebrated Easter at church and had an indoor egg hunt last weekend, we settled into our living room with a thunderstorm well on its way to our home. And as Jase devoured his last chocolate egg, we embarked on a journey to the Amazon jungle with a viewing of the Creature from the Black Lagoon.
Jase fell in the love with the movie and the character. By the end of the movie, he was even hoping the creature would prove victorious. And as I tucked him into bed that night, he said he couldn’t wait for the next movie night, pleading to watch Karloff again in Frankenstein.
In today’s society, our children are bombarded with an assortment of images whether it be through television or on any hand-held device that can hold a charge. And although we may be out of the loop on the latest trends, television series or movie sagas, I admit that it has been kind of nice not having television within our home.
It is as if we have almost entered a time warp within our home. The only television my children have watched in the last year has consisted of Gunsmoke, the Universal monster collection, The Honeymooners or Perry Mason.
Believe it or not, watching a newer Gunsmoke episode the other night left our oldest son James in awe.
“Thank goodness it’s in color,” he said, with a sigh.
But I admit that it has been nice to not be bombarded with some images or constant stream of agendas. What little television we have watched as been “dated.” But I have not had to worry about anything my children have flashed before our eyes within our own living room.
Aside from that, we have found other ways to occupy our time at home. Entertainment has come in the form of board games, backyard basketball games, nature walks or reading. Our two youngest children have spent entire afternoons with their imagination in full throttle, exploring the nearby woods or building a hideaway by our pond. Our oldest son James takes off on his bike for an adventure and returns home with muddy shoes yet a clear head.
Yes, it is as if we have created a bubble within our home. And some of the problems of the outside world seem to stop at our driveway. Even Jason and I leave work at the office and join our children in one of their adventures. Or with the sounds of birds within our backyard, we spend time on the front porch with a book or guitar. And as the sun settles into the hills, we gather around the television to laugh at Jackie Gleason or stare with wonder as Karloff comes to life in Frankenstein.
And although stress or problems within the world still wait for us the next morning, we go to bed each night sheltered through prayer and a clear head. Sometimes I think it takes tuning out to perhaps tune in.
One day our children will leave home and create their own path in the world. Yes, the world that has both rays of sunshine mixed with dark clouds. But I hope they remember their time at home when they felt protected and perhaps shielded for a time. I hope they remember the time when the volume was turned down, the race stopped and the world was found within their home.
Perhaps it did start with a simple act of losing television. And although we can turn the television off, we can’t turn off the world. But just maybe we can adjust the reception.
