-
The Stranger
- Jan 24, 2009 at 9:11 AM
- By
- Comments (20) Total Views (487) Everyone can see this journal post.
The Stranger
A few years after I was born, my Dad met a stranger who was
new to our small Texas town. From the beginning, Dad was
fascinated with this enchanting newcomer and soon invited him
to live with our family. The stranger was quickly accepted
and was around from then on.
As I grew up, I never questioned his place in my family. In
my young mind, he had a special niche. My parents were
complementary instructors: Mom taught me good from evil, and
Dad taught me to obey. But the stranger...he was our
storyteller. He would keep us spellbound for hours on end
with adventures, mysteries and comedies.
If I wanted to know anything about politics, history or
science, he always knew the answers about the past, understood
the present and even seemed able to predict the future! He
took my family to the first major league ball game. He made
me laugh, and he made me cry. The stranger never stopped
Talking, but Dad didn't seem to mind.
Sometimes, Mom would get up quietly while the rest of us were
shushing each other to listen to what he had to say, and she
would go to the kitchen for peace and quiet. (I wonder now if
she ever prayed for the stranger to leave.)
Dad ruled our household with certain moral convictions, but
the stranger never felt obligated to honor them. Profanity,
for example, was not allowed in our home... Not from us, our
friends or any visitors. Our longtime visitor, however, got
away with four-letter words that burned my ears and made my
dad squirm and my mother blush. My Dad didn't permit the
liberal use of alcohol. But the stranger encouraged us to try
it on a regular basis.
He made cigarettes look cool, cigars manly and pipes
distinguished.
He talked freely (much too freely!) about sex. His comments
were sometimes blatant, sometimes suggestive, and generally
embarrassing.
I now know that my early concepts about relationships were
influenced strongly by the stranger. Time after time, he
opposed the values of my parents, yet he was seldom rebuked...
And NEVER asked to leave.
More than fifty years have passed since the stranger moved in
with our family. He has blended right in and is not nearly as
fascinating as he was at first. Still, if you could walk into
my parents' den today, you would still find him sitting over
in his corner, waiting for someone to listen to him talk and
watch him draw his pictures.
His name?....
We just call him 'TV.'
(Note:This should be required reading for every household in America!)
He has a wife now....We call her 'Computer.'
Comments:
TV has brought us more sin than we wanted more crime more sex, killing ,and has keep us longer than we should stayed and we pay for it also.. TV will not be in heaven thank GOD I know towns that had no crime and no TV but in a few years the TV brough all this trash to there homes and now have a high crime rate... LOOK at our schools how much crime is there.. 
Interesting post. It sure can be an addiction along with the computer.
thats why we as parents need to monitor and schedule tv and computer times. good post.
EXCELLENT POST!
We go off and on with the television. Usually on for football and base ball. Then we do away with it and we actually read and learn in the times that the idiot box isn't blaring into our home.
We spend have the time on mute because the advertizements are worse that what we are watching. I do not miss it when it is off.
Good post.
Wow.. great post!
Actually, there is really very little difference from the past, except for today we have higher tech. Story-telling was telling about the community and issues that affected from within and without, social / religous/ 'profane" as it was called at times, or theatre, like playacting and such in the dark past, but even with developments from Grecian/Roman times there were tellings of godlike situations, wars, whatever the people were experiencing and even propaganda to threaten or ward off enemies. Theatre actors were excommunicated from the Catholic Church and no women could act for a long time, same in Japan/China, manyother places. Autos da Fe were created where Jews/others to be subjugated to the Church were burned to death at -not a fun theatre-more like a coliseum again during mid ages to 1600's if any records can be found or saved of that Catholic Church related effort. Also, profane theatre as well as high state of the arts machines and technology left many thinking acting was devil-possessed.High tech was used like it is today. Anything bad in life could be found in plays, books, etc., right to our day. Tv just makes it easier to access and Computer gives us the entire history in glaring color!////
great post
Already a member? Click here to log in
wonder what our children would do if they were allowed to have time to read. or learn or use their imaginations?
GREAT POST HUN.
- JESUSCARES4YOU2
Message Friend Invite