TV Moratorium

I find it hard to believe sometimes that my kids don't watch TV. Oh, there may be an occasional show. Seth likes House. He DVR's it but rarely has the time to watch the recordings. Allie won't miss a Piston's game, but watches no other TV. Christian likes a little Sponge Bob (who doesn't?), but that's it. This baffles me coming from their particular Mom. I love, Love, LOVE TV -- at least I did when I was a kid. I got up early to watch the Farm Report (it was the only thing on back in the late 60's or early 70's at 6am when there were only 3 or 4 TV stations if you count the fuzzy PBS station you sometimes got if the rabbit ears were just right. I lived for my Saturday Morning lineup -- Bugs Bunny, Scooby Doo, The Jackson Five, Fat Albert and of course the School Rock tidbits in between.

When the cartoons were finished it was time for Pro Bowlers Tour or maybe some of that fake wrestling. And if Mom and Dad were busy that day I could watch all the way to Wide World of Sports. That was just Saturday!!! Of course I had chores to do, and I did them, but the TV was on while I was vacuuming or cleaning the bathroom.

I had my weekday favorites too. After school there was Gilligan's Island, I Dream of Jeanie, The Adams Family, The Munsters and the ultimate favorite -- The Brady Bunch. I think I saw every episode. "Pork Chops and Applesause", "Something suddenly came up" -- these are phrases from the Brady Bunch I use to this day.

On week nights I loved Bewitched, That Girl, Mary Tyler Moore, The Waltons, Mission Impossible and on the weekends -- The Wonderful World of Disney, Gunsmoke and Bonanza. Amazingly enough, I never ever saw an episode of Night Rider or A-Team, or Hart to Hart. I did love Moonlighting. Then it was Seinfeld and to this day my favorites are 24 (where the heck is that show), Lost (why do they keep us waiting so long?), Heroes (not as good this year but still cool) ER (why does it have to end?) and my new favorite, Fringe.

I love TV so much I chose it for a career. I make TV shows on the local level. Some are lame, some are pretty worthwhile. I have come to know people in TV. I'll never forget the day I walked to the microwave to warm up some left over pasta in the kitchen area outside Studio A at our station and there was Greg Brady, just standing there. Of course I said, "Hi" with a ridiculous grin on my face. How could these worlds collide? Real and fantasy, childhood and adulthood all smacking me right in the face outside studio A! Or there was the time Jeff Daniels was sitting in the green room and I come up with the brilliant line, "We love Dumb and Dumber at our house". I'm sure he's used to idiots like me saying stupid stuff.

I'll never forget the day I was asked to produce a series of interviews with Oprah. Yes, the Oprah. Getting ready for the interview I couldn't help but think back to all those years with toddlers, when the thought of working outside the home was not even a distant glimmer. These were the years when I was fortunate to get a shower by 3pm or wear anything other than sweatpants. It was about a ten year period when Oprah was my link to the grownup world. I watched her from my 3 bedroom, 2 bath ranch in Vancouver, Washington, every day at 4pm. Never in a million years did I think I would be standing in front of her asking her questions. I remember going to Costco on my way to Downtown Detroit where I was going to do the interview. I stopped at Costco to see if they had a copy of her latest Oprah's Book Club book for the interview. I was all dressed up on a Saturday afternoon. I stood there at the book table, ready to burst with excitement. I wanted to scream to all the customers that I was on my way to meet Oprah. To have a chat with her, to tell the cameramen what to do and to tell Oprah what to do! It was a long way from those drizzly afternoons in Washington in the sweatpants.

But of all the TV personalities I've met, I would have to say my favorite was Robin Roberts. It was during the Super Bowl. She was so nice. I asked her to do a special intro for my Super Bowl Week in Review Piece. I told her to say "Hey, Detroit! Are you ready for some football?" I know it's cliche, but she was so nice and willing to do it. I said, "say it in your big outdoor voice," and that made her laugh. I found her to be a genuine, smart lady. When I heard she had breast cancer, my heart broke for her. She was my pal -- at least in my mind.

So you might ask, why the title TV moratorium? I've had it. I love it, but I've had it. I need to write. This is what is in the deepest part of my heart. I don't know what I'm supposed to write, but I have this sinking feeling, that TV is draining the life out of me.

When I'm home alone, when the kids are all at school, it's easy to turn on Regis and Kelly for a little connection with the rest of the world. They're funny. I always say tune it for the first 10 minutes and you'll just have a better day. That's all good and fine, but my problem is then the TV just stays on through Ellen or Martha. Then it's the View, then it's friends at the station doing "Action News at Noon."

Oh I'm just sitting there glued to the tube. I'm making breakfast, working out on the elliptical, reading and replying to emails from work. Sometimes I'm even screening tapes for a show or commercial I'm working on.

But here's the real thing stuck under my craw, the splinter that's starting to fester -- today I just decided I have had it! I'm tired the Gay agenda infiltrating just about every TV show. Believe it or not, not everyone thinks homosexulatiy is mainstream. I have no problem with what anyone chooses to do in the bedroom, but please don't expect me to feel the same way you do about legitimizing gay marriage. Marriage is a holy covenant between a man, a woman and God, for the purpose of bonding the couple and helping them grow in righteousness, and for providing the most divine of all relationships -- that of family.

Even mediocre psychologists will agree that a child is best served with both a male and female parent. My concern in all of this is the rising generation. If gay marriage becomes an accepted part of our culture, I see a whole new generation of children being raised in a very one sided, warped culture. One of the curses of the inner city these days is that there are scores of children being raised by single mothers. Look what that's done to those children. Statistics show boys raised without significant male role models are exponentially more likely to get involved in drugs, premarital sex and crime. They are the young men that fill our prisons.

I really don't even mind civil unions between gay couples. There's no reason you should not have a legal rights to visit your partner in the hospital, get your partner's property when they die. By the way, I've worked in hospitals, and just about anybody can visit anybody. This is a scillatious, irrelavant argument. And as far proptery rights go, just make a will. Everybody should do that anyway.

I think civil unions are far better than being promiscuous. But don't try and mainstream your relationship into that of legitimate family ordained of God. And don't bring children into the relationship just because you want them. It's not in their best interest. Period!

I'm tired of turning on any primetime drama or comedy show to find there is a lesbian or gay story line going on. The kissing scene. Yes, there is homosexuality in the world. Yes, it needs to be addressed. But at the same time, it's not mainstream. And just because those promoting the gay agenda seem to congregate in Hollywood and New York where most entertainment is produced, it's not the way most people live and huge majority still thinks it's wrong.

This whole thing with blaming the Mormons for the passing of Proposition 8 in California and saying they are hateful and ugly is preposterous. Mormons are only standing up for traditional families. They're not haters. Watch a Mormon for a week and you'll see they are hard working, honest people who spend most of their free time serving their families or others.

Beside that, if a majority of people in California voted for the proposition, I guarantee you, they weren't all Mormons. In fact one of the largest groups that voted for prop 8 were African Americans. But it's not policitally correct to blame black people for anything.

There are actually a lot people outside of Hollywood that believe in traditional values. There are people all across this country that read the Bible and believe what it says.

I know these are harsh words. But sometimes you just have to say what you feel.
So that's the big reason for the moratorium. That, and I need to find out what's inside of me. I need to get in touch with that voice beyond me that speaks truth. For when I find that voice, I speak truth and write truth. It illuminates and magnifies common individuals, helps them to grow and to help others. That's what I truly want to do with my time. Sorry if I ranted to long.

I hate winter!

I finally have a free day with no big demands. It's grey and cold outside. Do you prefer "grey" or "gray". I go back and forth. I'm reading "The Agony and the Ecstasy" by Irving Stone. It is amazing! It's about Michelangelo. It shows what a genius he is, and also what a genius Irving Stone is. Both get that beauty and art are both gifts from God.
I'm in the middle of producing the 2009 Ultimate Wedding Planning Show. I don't want to do it. I've asked managment to hire another producer. The person they have asked is too afraid to do it, so I'm stuck. But I'm trying to stand strong. I don't need the work, and I really think the show could use a fresh approach.
I have lots of things I want to write about. See, this is the bottom line. I don't want to produce lame local specials anymore. They are so time consuming. What I really want to do is write books. That's why I'm writing here. To at least start the juices flowing. I don't really want to be so narcissistic as to think my daily trivial triflings are of any interest to anyone but myself, but I feel like I need to commit to writing. Plus, I did get a little jealous when I heard some ladies at church say they were reading each other's blogs! What? I'm the writer. Why don't I have a blog? I know it's small and immature of me. But what can I say. At least, I'm honest enough to say it.

I do think the things I do at work are taking time away from what I really should be doing. I have moments of inpsiration when I know exactly what I should write and then other times I think everything I have to say is just stupid. So at least I'm committing to writing SOMETHING!

Getting back to my title... Winter is not a good place for me. I like about two weeks of it. The two weeks right before Christmas, the first good snowstorm, a little snuggling up in front of the fire. BUT THAT's IT. It seems like a dead time of the year. Everything is so grey, gray and greay. It affects my mood and makes lack luster in all that I do. The only reason I have energy today is because I know I don't have to teach Seminary tomorrow. It's a day off for one of the school districts, so we have a day off tomorrow.

We have a little situation with one of our kids today, who when he/she returns home is about to find out he/she is so grounded for about ten years. I don't know how to handle these teenager issues. I feel like such a pushover sometimes. I know how to feel. I am disappointed by the behavior. But what can I say. I made huge mistakes in my youth and I figured it all out eventually. So what do I say?Do I just show love? Do I kick butt? I go between anger and sadness and disappointment to guilt about working. The list goes on and on. I have been reallyt trying not to work so much - hence tryng to get out of the Wedding Show, and I am most most days before the kids get home. So what else can I do. I push us all to have family home evening. I teach seminary. We've read the scriptures, we have family prayer every day. What else can I do?