Once upon a time, people lived quiet ordinary lives. They
didn't think much of what their neighbors had or didn't have. They
just counted their blessings and endured the hard winters, hoping
for a bountiful Spring harvest. They sat on their porches and said
hello to everyone that passed by. People were just being themselves
and that seemed good enough for them.
Once in a while news came in from other counties and some brought
in new inventions called "books and magazines" which told of
wonderous things happening "somewhere" else.
At first, folks didn't pay much mind to these silly pages of dreams
that some fool cooked up from far away, but one day, one of the
neighbors sent away for a gadget advertised in one of the
magazines.
It was a new fangled invention called The Television....
Well...did that cause a stir...
The "television" arrived and the whole town stood outside as
the both the delivery man and the television antenna man
set up the television in the neighbors house. Of course, they
put a big sign outside advertising for more business.
Lots of banging on the roof and the antenna was connected
as well as the Television set...With this new fangled electricity
just plug it in and turn the switch on...A few turns of the knob
and voila....A moving picture...!!
With advertising of course....
It was an event and the whole neighborhood stopped by
to see the television and get a glimpse into modern technology...
Refreshments were served and even though the show was
snowy at best...it was new and now everyone wanted
a tv set....
The next few months...the television man had alot of new
tv's to install and soon everyone was inside at night watching
this new fad called tv shows...
No one was outside walking to the ice cream store...
Or going to the ball game at the park....
Or just sitting on the porch talking...
They just sat there on the couch watching this
box with moving pictures
And feeling like they had the best invention made to man
Something strange happened...
In between the shows...
something called commercials...
telling people to go out and buy stuff
They really didn't need
But just had to have!!
Most intelligent people would laugh at this
but somehow this "box" of wonders
Sold stuff that you would never want!!
But just had to have!
Because you saw your neighbor buy one yesterday
And you can't have that , can you?
You got to have one too!!
And it also had a remote where the person
who turned on the tv set had control of what
show to watch...
Such power...but most of the time there
was always someone in the room who didn't
like the tv show and made a big fuss about it
So they went out and got their own tv set
and their own remote...
And soon all the neighbors were doing it..
and at night you could hear the words fly...out the window...
"But do we have to watch that show again??"
"Let me have the remote! It's my turn!!"
"Or, I want to buy that...Or I want this..."
It went on and on...
Soon there was no money for food or electric
So first the electric was shut off...
then the tv box was silent...
It sat there with its mystery ....
Snuffed out...
Just like the switch of a lamp....
the legend of the tv was no more
Just a box in the corner of the living room
That now had a table cloth over it
And a vase of daisies
Soon to be forgotten
In a few days,,,the neighbors were sitting on the porch
Again...laughing..
The kids were back at the ball park playing baseball
And when you get in your car...
You turn on the Radio....
And hear about the legend of tv
you all laugh and say...
That's not for me!
You sit on your porch again
with your neighbors
and talk about the good
Old days
Of television
And how silly they were
And you all have a good laugh
And remember the money
You saved before you thought
that little box called a tv
was going to make life
better....
And it made life just
plain wierd...
So the moral to this
story is
Take time for today
and don't be a fool
to think that something
advertised on tv
will make your life better....
What you have right in front
of you is more than enough
to smile....
