The Remote

            We have become a society of indulgence.  The fact is we want convenience above all things any more.  A perfect example of this is the TV remote.  I say TV remote but, let’s all face it.  There are remotes for everything.  I have a camcorder with a remote.  This seems to make sense.  I can use the remote to start and stop the camera while I am in the picture.  That’s not the point I started out to make, though.

            The TV remote is guarded by many men.  You do not mess with or hide my remote.  Someone once told me a joke.  If you want to help your husband lose weight, hide the remote.  I am a man so I guess I should be resentful but I’m not.

            Yesterday we had the man come from direct TV to set up a satellite dish.  Guess what?  Now we have one more remote.  That makes a total of four remotes connected to or used with something that is connected to our TV set.  We have one for the VCR, one for the DVD player, one for the TV set and one for the little box that connects Direct TV.  Actually you can use the one remote that came with direct TV for all the above but I think you special training to do it without going crazy.

            Remember the days when you got up and walked across the room to turn your TV set on and off or change the channels?  Believe it or not, we still do.  Why, you ask?  It’s because we have grandchildren.  And they find the remote fascinating.  They can sit for hours and turn the TV on and off over and over again.  They can also completely demolish a remote.  Some of these newer TV’s and VCRs, DVD’s and even the box that powers the satellite dish will not work without the remote.  So we guard them with our life. 

            I have, therefore decided to keep the remotes by the TV set high out of the reach of the grandchildren.  Hence, I get up and walk across the floor to turn the TV on or off or change the channels, just like I did as a kid.  That means with all our wonderful electronic toys, we are no further ahead.  Isn’t that kick in the head.

            Of course I love my children and I love my grandchildren so I don’t mind.  Besides, the old man needs the exercise.  When I was a kid everything came with buttons on it or knobs to turn it on and off or change channels, be it the TV, radio or whatever.

            Sometimes I wonder if all this wonderful technology has really added that much to our lives.  Actually, I don’t wonder at all.  What adds to my life is the love of those little monsters from who I keep the remote.

            So I will continue to do things as I do but I do have one problem.  Where do I put so many remotes?