take that canadian!

Cable is G-O-N-E gone! Wow it was harder than I thought. Story:

Past couple weeks I've been thinking about canceling. But then the thought, "What about The Bachelor? The Office?!" would enter my head. So I pushed the "cancel cable" idea away and snuggled into my blanket Monday night to watch...The Bachelor. What else? And...I was so mad at myself. I kept fast forwarding through the skanky parts or the dumb parts or the commercials and then I thought, "You know...for LOVING the Bachelor, I sure do fast forward a lot." And then I thought, "Wait a second, aren't I supposed to be doing something tonight? .... Oh! Just Family Home Evening." Yeah. I was watching The Bachelor--or rather fast forwarding through The Bachelor--and forgot chose to skip Family Home Evening. Talk about guilt.

And that was it. I resolved to cut the cable cord, figuratively speaking. So this morning, I made the call. And if I'm being honest, I was actually nervous. Like anxious nervous. I sounded confident as I told the guy to cancel it and I was proud of myself, but inside I was feeling like a heroine addict about to go into rehab. Then the Canadian (the cable guy over the phone--I know he was Canadian cause he pronounced "house" as "hoose") tells me, "Well what if we offered a special promotion and lowered your payment? Would you reconsider keeping your cable service?" Oh you cunning Canadian, I thought. Way to tempt me.

My resolve rattled, I rationalized quietly that I'd hear what he had to offer. It was like a memory reel played through my head of all the shows I love. The entertainment, the laughter, the tears. Couldn't hurt to just hear about the special discount, right? Plus, TV's not that bad. And if I get a deal.... I almost said it. The words were on my lips. But then I remembered my seminary teacher, Sister Halladay, and the word "rationalize" on the chalkboard in stark, white, large letters. Except it was spelled "rationa-LIES!" 

"No!" I yelled gallantly into the phone and stood upon my wicker office chair. "I will not succumb to you hound of Satan!" Actually, I just said, "No thanks." And that was that. But I felt so empowered! It was awesome. Hard, really hard. But like ripping off a bandaid.

A girl I work with told me last week that as her New Year's goal she was quitting smoking. And she had started that morning. She said how every morning she had gotten up and had a cigarette and a coffee. But this morning she just had coffee and she said it felt "awkward." Haha. I laughed at the word choice, picturing her drinking her coffee and feeling awkward at herself. I didn't quite understand at the time. I think I do now. It's like those "Quit Smoking" commercials where the message is you have to relearn your life without cigarettes.

I've gotta relearn my day to day routine without watching TV or having it on while I make dinner. It's weird. Eerily quiet. Truth be told... a little awkward. But oh so glorious. Oh the possibilities!

And so this dramatic glimpse of my life ends. Take that Canadian!

(Let it be known that I am not one of those people. The "Oh we don't watch TV in our house" people. If I do ever say that. Smack me.)