I moved to the country last year to flee the chaos of urban sprawl, hoping to rediscover the enchantment and wonder of God’s creation and the tranquility of a simpler life. I think many who approach the halfway mark along that journey between the cradle and the grave, long to escape the vanity and insanity of their misspent youth and that nagging, culturally implanted ambition to be a “somebody” in this wacky world of wannabes.So, from an A-frame log home with a wood stove and a sleepy dog, this
“nobody” now stays informed, engaged and entertained as never before, gazing at life through an open window in much the same way I once studied the virtual reality of the human condition as presented through that artificial “window to the world” called television. Even though the window has only one channel, it gets remarkable reception with its 3 D picture and wrap-around sound. There is no remote, no monthly fee and best of all, no commercials! Even the big ones are affordable and their clarity and color are absolutely breathtaking!
The senses come alive in an open window, away from the factions, distractions, interactions and contraptions of modern man in ways television just can’t compete. The fierce rumble of a thunderstorm can’t be felt through a television speaker anymore than that marvelous smell of nitrogen in the air can fill your flared nostrils right before the rain begins to fall on your favorite TV show.
Have you ever heard the wind rush from a cloud of ten thousand chirping blackbirds rolling from one hillside to another on a warm sunny day; or the echo of a lone hoot owl, a couple of hours before dawn, through a fog-filled canyon, illuminated overhead by a full moon; or quietly watched a dozen white-tail deer suddenly turn orange by a flaming sunset as they graze through the tender spring clover of a lush green pasture; or sat with your chin in your hands just listening to creek water trickle over a pile of rocks you laid around your well over by the buttercups and the wooden bench swing? These are not costly things reserved for the wealthy and elite of society. These are the finer things of life enjoyed by simple folk who recognize the real wealth of God¹s bounty and blessing around them. The best part of it all is, what you see and hear through an open window is REAL….not contrived, reproduced, computer enhanced or choreographed by politicians, publicists, pundits, pitchmen, pollsters, preachers, producers, publishers or profiteers with product lines, potions, panaceas, platitudes, propaganda and programs they wish to peddle.
I didn’t have a working television during my entire first week out here in this pauper’s paradise. The big wooded hills that surround me render “rabbit ears”, for the most part, useless and I don’t think my humble neighbors even know what cable TV is. I¹m sure if I asked them for the latest on Elian Gonzalez, they would probably just smile and say they’ve never met the fella. It wasn’t until a friend of mine came out to put up a satellite dish and a hilltop antenna for me, that I was able to re-connect to that frenetic world I left behind. After doing so, I was reminded of Proverbs 26:11: “As a dog returneth to his vomit, so a fool returneth to his folly”…..wuff wuff !!
Once my big screen TV was all plugged-in and powered-up, the most amazing thing happened. After only a few minutes, I had to turn it off! The blaring noise and frantic flickering of the screen was absolutely unbearable! The visions and voices that regularly howl and shriek from that infernal blather box resembled the sights and sounds of an insane asylum! My cozy little cottage was instantly transformed into a madhouse! Like a hapless prisoner in a chamber of horrors, I suddenly felt like I was being forced to see everything THEY wanted me to see, hear everything THEY wanted me to hear and believe everything THEY wanted me to believe! It was a bloody nightmare! Once I got my sweaty hands back on that remote, I shut it off and never looked at TV the same way again! (Pardon the pun) It was more than just silly and obnoxious. It was vulgar, obscene and irritating! For a brief moment I even considered doing an Elvis imitation and poppin’ a cap into that 40 inch glass goblin just to shut it up! I had apparently undergone some sort of television de-tox over that past week and didn¹t even know it.
Please keep in mind, this comes from a news junkie that used to never turn the wretched thing off. It didn¹t matter if I was eating, sleeping, showering or talking on the phone. It was like music to my ears…..a sirens song, if you will. Whenever I was home, CNN was on the screen, round the clock, for every breaking story and opinion that their wandering cameras could find. So, I knew everything there was to know about everybody who was anybody, except my own next door neighbor’s first name. If there had ever been a blackout, I suppose I would have thrown myself on the floor and gone into convulsions while foaming at the mouth!
I get my news and current events online now, mainly because the global socialists haven’t yet figured out how to sufficiently filter, censor and control the internet to advance their agenda and I can quickly skip over the things I don’t care to read. That saves a lot of time and frustration. Sure there¹s a lot of junk on the internet, but alongside that junk is a great deal of sound, unbiased and dedicated reporting that is no longer allowed on television by the government/media hierarchy. If you¹re unwilling to be spoon-fed the propaganda pabulum of the mainstream media and are disciplined and determined enough to search out the truth, it’s all there.
Take it from Dr. Proctor. The next time another national crisis comes along, (now averaging about one a month under the current administration), just take a quiet walk around the block with your dog and shake a neighbor’s hand. Stop and have a conversation or two with God along the way and let Him do most of the talking. Replace some of that junk news you watch with meaningful Bible study and over the course of time you¹ll be amazed at how enlightened and informed you¹ll become while realizing just how perverted your perspective and priorities once were by investing so much of your life in the virtual reality of television.
Be sure and read the Age Of Illusion Part I, Part II and Part III