I finished the month of January like a champ! 31 days without tv or movies or videos, and it was awesome. I even went several days into February without them. It's already the 15th and I still haven't actually watched a series on television (although I have since caught up on all my faves from last fall on hulu). Last night was the first time I sat down and watched a movie (having hosted a movie night for the girls in my youth group), but even then I couldn't just sit and watch. After about 20 minutes I got up and grabbed my knitting. Ha!
I think it was a really great exercise for me, and really put things into perspective. Even with my ridiculously crazy schedule, I had so much extra time, and so little stress ("I can't go do this, that, or the other, because I'll miss my favorite show!"), that I got tons of things done, not only with relationships, but with my personal life, my spiritual life, and my favorite activities. I listened to 2 full audio books (Sense and Sensibility, and The Scarlet Letter), I studied the Bible every day, I knit a pair of legwarmers and 2 baby hats for a CURE Afghanistan hospital project, I knit a BAG (not including the time I spent measuring, cutting, seaming, and sewing material for INSIDE the bag), started working out more often (and with more energy and pleasure) and was able to go out with people and do a number of fun activities while building those relationships. It was really good for me.
On top of all those benefits of getting to actually DO things, I also was able to restrain from buying anything for myself for the entire month (with the exception of knitting materials for all those projects). Without being hit in the face with advertising ("this is what your life should look like," "this is how you should dress," "this is how you should act/talk," "this is where you should live," "this is who you should date"), I didn't feel the need to BUY. At all. I don't actually need anything, indeed I have much more than most people in this world, and without being told that I DO, in fact, need things, I abstained from buying anything at all for myself. It was really refreshing. I could actually feel my life being cleansed of all that junk that I put on myself when I watch tv, or even movies. Even now, with great movies coming out on dvd (you all remember my ONE vice is that I buy movies for myself....ALL the time), I still can't make myself go out and buy one right off the shelf the day it comes out. Don't get me wrong, as a theatre lover and patron, I have a great admiration and respect for working actors, directors, techies, etc... but if there are people in this world going without food or clothing or shelter or water, there is NO justification for me to drop $25 on a MOVIE.
All in all, it was a really incredible experience for me. I'm really grateful my first act of sacrifice and self-discipline was exercised in a realm I never thought I could control. Movies are/were my escape, and not having that to dive into really created in me an ability to deal with things that I didn't necessarily want to deal with. I feel like I've really grown as a person, and my priorities have made themselves very clear. I'm excited to see what else this year has to bring!
