Cutting the cable

I’ve lived a decent life: I’ve never been without shelter, I survived college intact, I’ve been fortunate enough to travel and eat gourmet foods, and I’ve got a plethora of great friends. Through all of this, there’s been one constant – one thing that I’ve always had as part of my life and really took advantage of throughout that time.

Cable television.

And, starting with our next billing period, we will no longer have it. I am going to be officially out of the loop as far as cable television goes.

I’m kind of scared.

Here’s the deal – I don’t watch TV anymore. In fact, I would have gotten rid of cable months ago except I was under the assumption that I needed it in order to keep our cable internet connection. I’ve started reading books when I get home at night, and I don’t use our TV for anything but movies and NBA Live 2006 during the day. Kerrie has told me that she would like to get rid of cable because all she watches is the Food Network and whatever random reality show she happens to get caught up in while flipping channels.

Still, it’s always been there. It’s always been right there, hooked behind the television, ready to pipe that sweet cable goodness onto our screen.

There will be times I’ll miss it – I’ll miss the NBA on TNT. I’ll miss watching eighteen Law and Order reruns in a row on Sunday nights. I’ll miss ESPN, Aqua Teen Hunger Force, and the History Channel.

But you know what? I never get to watch any of this, and even if I did I can still get every single NBA game on Sirius radio, as well as any ESPN news. Aqua Teen Hunger Force is on DVD, as is Law and Order, and the History Channel is just 95% World War II anyway.

I won’t miss the countless reality shows. I won’t miss feeling obliged to turn the TV on during some quiet moment in our house. I won’t be drawn into watching some lame show during the afternoon because I’m too lazy to do anything else.

Right now we’re paying $35 per month for something we use only a few hours a week. That’s enough to make me feel a lot better about my decision.

But I can’t help but to be a little scared. I’m sending myself back to the dark ages, as far as information goes. I’ll be completely shut off from sweeps month, and from 24-hour hurricane coverage, and from Iron Chef. I’ll no longer be able to catch an episode of Golden Girls, or a rare appearance of The Family Ties. In fact, I’ll be closed off from all of the mind-numbingly horrible shows that pass as “situation comedies” these days.

Hmm. I guess maybe this was healthier than I had thought.