The Remote Control

When I was a boy, we didn’t have a remote control. Our television had a knob (circa 1980) and we had to get up, off our butts, and change the channel manually.

Of course, since I was the youngest of three boys, I played the role of the remote control, personally. That’s right, I was a brown eyed, black haired channel changer. We all watched the same programs, because there wasn’t much variety on TV. Then, as we grew older, our TV became more advanced and we began to argue about who would hold the remote control.

I don’t have to tell you, my mother (single-mom of 3) always got the final say. However, when she wasn’t around, we fought like crazy to win the rights to the remote. Would it be football, basketball, soccer or a television show? The bickering sometimes lasted so long, we’d miss the first quarter of the game trying to figure it out.

Now, I’m all grown up and married, and the remote control isn’t so much an issue anymore. You see, now, we have more than one television. So, if I don’t want to watch “Survivor” or “CSI: Miami,” I can walk downstairs, to the “Manny Cave” and watch whatever the heck I want.

Sounds great, right? Well, it is great, for a short time. Then, you start to wonder: “How many shows am I watching alone?”

Arguing is not always a good thing, however, I would say this one is necessary for every family. Watching the same TV show, in the same room let’s you know what the one you love is into watching. Sharing time together in front of the television is not exactly “quality time,” but it is time together.

The “Manny Cave” is a wonderful room, don’t get me wrong. When the guys come over, we can watch football, play video games, listen to music and be as loud as we’d like.

I will say, the room is also NOT to be abused. Retiring to the cave means giving up time with the one you love. It means giving up time smiling at each other’s likes and dislikes on TV. It also may mean one less “polite disagreement” over who will get the remote control.