I remember the television we had when I was growing up. It was a modest size and sat on a retro wooden stand. Most of the space underneath was taken up by the synthetic wood drawers, and the VHS player. The television itself had a power button, volume buttons, and (if I’m remembering correctly) number buttons on the console (or maybe the numbers were on the cable box). Of course there was a remote, but I know there were times when my sister and I would sit on the soft brown carpeting of the family room and push the buttons, searching for our “One Saturday Morning” cartoons.
At some point over the years, there was an upgrade to a more luxurious, big-screen television. This has some buttons on the console, but is mostly remote controlled. The screen is more squarish than rectangle- and if you look when the machine is off, you can see the curve of the glass obscuring your reflection.
Those were the family TVs. The ones which would host many movies and shows for ourselves and guests to see. For a long time, this was the only television I would watch. I didn’t have my own- until one day......
My dad is cheap and stubborn. Cheap to the point that he thinks $20 is far too much to pay for sneakers. Stubborn to the point that “No” didn’t always have a reason behind it. Now, this affected my upbringing in many ways, but when it came to the entertainment I had as a child, it was of great influence. Neither my sister or I ever had a game system. We had computers, but they were mostly homemade (my dad can build computers). Forget having a cell phone- I was lucky to have a walkman. So a personal television was never exactly expected in my room. Sure, I had friends with their own TVs- they would cycle through them, but I just never had one. I had to fight over the TV in the family room if I had a show I wanted to watch. Heaven forbid if it came on during my dad’s news! And, forget it, if my mom had on HGTV. It was a system to say the least.
So one day, it should be no surprise that I was shocked when my dad told me he had a TV for me. I was pumped. I was souped. I was... surprised- when I saw how small it was, about a 3" screen with a 7" body, and dials on the sides to adjust the channels and volume. I was even more surprised when I found out it wasn’t color- and the image would roll for five minutes before settling. ..Yay? But it was mine, and it was so pathetic I gave it a name- Bert. I figured it deserved a name since I could hardly call it a television. “I’m watching Bert,” seemed a little more appropriate.
My dad was feeling so generous, he even got me a cable box for Bert. If you’re doubting the sizes I mentioned, realize that Ernie (the cable box) was bigger than Bert. The poor TV had to sit on top of it, and it’s screen still rolled even if I could adjust the channels more easily. So For a ffew years I had Bert and Ernie in my room, and would sometimes use them- mostly to have sports games on while I did other things at my desk. But mostly, they were a novelty- and a conversation piece which could function.
My dad also got me a TV for when I was in my second term of college. I thought it was fine- until the picture went blank, and the sound kept working. That one didn’t stick around long- but it had at least been color, and maybe 10". It never even got a name before it went curbside.
And so.. time has gone on. If I watched TV shows, I found it convenient to go on Hulu. My ledgit laptop was a functioning entertainment system on the go which was perfect- until I moved to Philadelphia. You can’t be picky when you steal internet, so Hulu isn’t happening- and while for my own personal use, the laptop is fine for movies- it isn’t exactly adequate for guests. What a rouse.
So I did something the other day. I made a grown-up, independent, spontaneous decision and strode into the Best Buy. It hasn’t been mounted yet, but I am now the owner of a 32" flatscreen, plasma, high-definition television with a built in DVD player (let’s make this easy.. the last thing I need it separate machinery to figure out). I am pumped. I am souped. and I have a warrantee.
Now, all I need is a couch...
At some point over the years, there was an upgrade to a more luxurious, big-screen television. This has some buttons on the console, but is mostly remote controlled. The screen is more squarish than rectangle- and if you look when the machine is off, you can see the curve of the glass obscuring your reflection.
Those were the family TVs. The ones which would host many movies and shows for ourselves and guests to see. For a long time, this was the only television I would watch. I didn’t have my own- until one day......
My dad is cheap and stubborn. Cheap to the point that he thinks $20 is far too much to pay for sneakers. Stubborn to the point that “No” didn’t always have a reason behind it. Now, this affected my upbringing in many ways, but when it came to the entertainment I had as a child, it was of great influence. Neither my sister or I ever had a game system. We had computers, but they were mostly homemade (my dad can build computers). Forget having a cell phone- I was lucky to have a walkman. So a personal television was never exactly expected in my room. Sure, I had friends with their own TVs- they would cycle through them, but I just never had one. I had to fight over the TV in the family room if I had a show I wanted to watch. Heaven forbid if it came on during my dad’s news! And, forget it, if my mom had on HGTV. It was a system to say the least.
So one day, it should be no surprise that I was shocked when my dad told me he had a TV for me. I was pumped. I was souped. I was... surprised- when I saw how small it was, about a 3" screen with a 7" body, and dials on the sides to adjust the channels and volume. I was even more surprised when I found out it wasn’t color- and the image would roll for five minutes before settling. ..Yay? But it was mine, and it was so pathetic I gave it a name- Bert. I figured it deserved a name since I could hardly call it a television. “I’m watching Bert,” seemed a little more appropriate.
My dad was feeling so generous, he even got me a cable box for Bert. If you’re doubting the sizes I mentioned, realize that Ernie (the cable box) was bigger than Bert. The poor TV had to sit on top of it, and it’s screen still rolled even if I could adjust the channels more easily. So For a ffew years I had Bert and Ernie in my room, and would sometimes use them- mostly to have sports games on while I did other things at my desk. But mostly, they were a novelty- and a conversation piece which could function.
My dad also got me a TV for when I was in my second term of college. I thought it was fine- until the picture went blank, and the sound kept working. That one didn’t stick around long- but it had at least been color, and maybe 10". It never even got a name before it went curbside.
And so.. time has gone on. If I watched TV shows, I found it convenient to go on Hulu. My ledgit laptop was a functioning entertainment system on the go which was perfect- until I moved to Philadelphia. You can’t be picky when you steal internet, so Hulu isn’t happening- and while for my own personal use, the laptop is fine for movies- it isn’t exactly adequate for guests. What a rouse.
So I did something the other day. I made a grown-up, independent, spontaneous decision and strode into the Best Buy. It hasn’t been mounted yet, but I am now the owner of a 32" flatscreen, plasma, high-definition television with a built in DVD player (let’s make this easy.. the last thing I need it separate machinery to figure out). I am pumped. I am souped. and I have a warrantee.
Now, all I need is a couch...
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