blessmyendeavors

I woke this morning to a cool room, and enjoyed the luxury of not having to leap from my bed to begin the day.  I am retired.  However, before you begin muttering about my luck, let me tell you something I suddenly came face to face with.

We’ve all been hearing for months how television is changing to digital broadcasting soon.  That day is looming; already we have only 2 channels left on our modest little 19 inch model television.  Next week, it will go blank forever, and our lives will step back the equivilent of 100 years.    We, like millions of other low-income people cannot afford to replace it.  We will keep it around solely to watch dvds.

I lay in bed this morning and wondered how this is going to affect life for those millions.  Has anyone even considered how television changed our lives, and how this is going to force a change again?   For us it means news will only come in via radio, and the computer.  No longer will we blythely turn on the evening news, or the Today Show in the morning.  No more “Good Morning America”…no more Dr.Phil, or Judge Judy.  This change could not have come at a worse time in our economy; millions are having to face the worries of how to save their homes, feed their families, find a job….and now, almost as a slap in the face, have it rubbed in that they cannot even afford the luxury of television.  Not cable TV, mind you !  No such decadant expense as that…but simple, plain public broadcastings.  Next week, this machine that I voice my misgivings on today will become my sole source of connection with the world at large.

I wonder how life is going to change?