By Invitation Only!

Emma's  -  Discover your dream

When I was a child, there was one TV in the family; my time watching it was limited and monitored by Wilfrida and Guido.  There was no afternoon TV viewing. Like cars in our family, televisions lasted as long as possible till they literally gave up the ghost and the shadowy snowy screen died.

As a small child, I would sneak out of bed and watch the same shows my parents were watching, race back to bed before being caught or falling asleep.   My simple fantasy - the cosmic TV creator would produce a miniature TV that could be watched under my covers.

Fast forward to the 1989 San Francisco earthquake where an old, sad, small black and white TV fell to its death.  I found a portable Sony combo TV and radio that, in total, was less than 10 inches, the screen taking up only 3 of the 10 inches.  My justification was that if another quake hit, the whole unit could run on batteries.  Friends were amazed and didn’t get it, “how can you see the screen. Barbie’s play house has a larger TV!”

It wasn’t size, it was about a childhood dream and I didn’t watch it, I listened to it.   Now it’s 2005, we move and cable is the only choice. Cable is new to me as a concept.  Living in San Francisco without cable, allowed a person to watch 4 channels, one, which inexplicably started coming in Spanish and 3 that needed consistent adjustments with rabbit ears.

 When friends asked if I was excited to graduate to the world of cable I could only tell them two things.  Going from 4 channels to a bazillion taught me one thing; Law and Order can be found somewhere 24 hours a day.  End of story!

Watching Law & Order

We are in the process of moving again and purchased a big screen from the former owners - our current TV is 23 inches, big living.  Visiting the new house we turned it on and to my horror I was creeped out.  All the characters from Law and Order seemed to be coming off the screen into the room.  I prefer everyone small and without detail so much better.  It’s just too much to have these folks joining us in the same room.

“Why Law and Order you ask?”  That is Emma, the Bernese wonder dog’s favorite show and she watches without us  - one episode a day.  If there is a marathon we don’t see her till mealtime.  I can just hear Wilfrida and Guido now.

All of this reminds me of a Ray Bradbury short story, where the children played in a holograph room all day and the parents finally told them no and locked the door.  The story ends in the room, floor to ceiling walls showing lions eating their prey.  Moral of the story, don’t let your children watch too much TV or it could be the death of you. Or don’t invite TV characters into your room?  Books anyone?