television

Happy Spring!

Work on the stuff in boxes has slowed way down because one box in particular has loads of my work from grammar school. Work that my mother had saved. The trip down memory lane has been surreal… and slow…

The above drawing was with a group of papers created when I was about seven years old. We had to draw things we were thankful for. I drew my house, the American flag, and this television. It made me smile.

Recently I’ve learned that I think in pictures, rather than words or patterns. I had a reputation for being a bookworm, and I do love read, but I do it very slowly and my reading comprehension is not up to par. (I now have my grade school report cards to confirm that.) I find it very interesting that I did not draw a book for this assignment!

I still love watching T.V., although at times I am embarrassed to admit it. Some people can be pretty snooty about how mind-numbing they think most of what is offered is. And it is. But as I was growing up my parents required us to watch nature (think Jacques Cousteau), science and history documentaries. To this day I still watch and enjoy them!

After my mother died I would watch T.V. with my father on Wednesday nights, Nature and Nova on PBS. And Masterpiece Theatre on Sundays. And nowadays you will find me glued to the set when Finding Your Roots, with Henry Louis Gates, Jr. comes on!

One night in October last year, I found an episode of Nature online. I invited Katherine to watch A Squirrel’s Guide to Success with me on my laptop. To my surprise and delight, she was utterly fascinated — we do watch squirrels a lot when we’re outside — and stayed put to watch the whole program with me. 🙂

I will keep reading books, but I’m more gentle with myself now when I have difficulty following along. And in honor of my inner child, I will now be watching T.V. without apology!!!

8 thoughts on “television”

  1. I so enjoyed reading your thoughts and ruminations on words, reading, and television, Barbara. The TV drawing is especially endearing…made me smile, too. I think your evenings with your newly widowed father sound really sweet and loving; and I applaud you for breaking that barrier that often arises with people who are a little too quick to put down the television. There are beautiful shows that take us places we cannot possibly get to, as your parents taught you early on.

    1. Thank you so much, Jet. I’m happy you liked my little TV. I am often dazzled by the cinematography in nature documentaries, and am in awe of the time and patience it takes to capture such stunning shots. And I feel the same way about your partner’s photography on your amazing blog! This has been quite a trip down memory lane and I’ve been dealing with eyestrain for a few days now, probably aggravated by the strong emotions surfacing.

  2. An enjoyable post! Journeys back in time tend to be slow and quite emotional. Your TV was great…loved the happy bird and flowers, probably reflecting what you had been watching. I, too, still love watching good nature documentaries…a wonderful world.

    1. Thank you, Tiny! I know you are only too familiar with those journeys back in time. It is indeed a wonderful world and we could never see all of it in one lifetime, although some people seem to come pretty close. I enjoy your blog and I look forward to your pictures, especially the birds in the salt marsh and and the glimpses of Scandinavia.

  3. Katherine loves nature so very much. I think you can look forward to many walks in the woods and many documentaries with her. 🙂

    1. I think so, too. 🙂 She’s my little nature friend. (I still have a few of her gifts, a piece of mulch, a stick, and an acorn.)

  4. How did you come to realize you think in pictures ? I have no pictures in my head; so few memories. I love to read but as I am returning recently read books to the library I realize that I cannot recall the stories they contained.

    I too love watching nature shows on TV but I watch junk too. I tend to treat TV like radio; it’s on now as I type this. lol

    1. We’re on such opposite ends of the spectrum, Sybil! All I have are pictures in my head. When someone asks me for directions I can’t find the words to show them the map in my head and I always resort to drawing a map for them. I never ask for directions because the words confuse me and I’m lost after the first turn. But once I’ve been to a place I can find my way there again following the pictures in my head.

      (I have been known to leave the TV on, too, in the background for “company.”)

      I’ve been slowly understanding how my brain works over the past few years, especially after reading “Thinking in Pictures: My Life with Autism” by Temple Grandin.

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