Who is that stranger in my living room?
By
Gerry Niskern
Lately, when I turn the corner into my living room I’m startled to see another person there! I have a new really large flat screen TV and it’s taking some getting used to. It’s fooled me more than once.
When I think back decades ago when my dad brought home our first television set, I have to laugh at how far we have come. He couldn’t wait to get one as soon as television was available in Phoenix. It was a little twelve inch and we gathered around in the evening to watch the only thing showing, wrestling. And most of the time they were midgets doing the take downs , but we were enthralled The neighbors came over to check out this wonderful new form of entertainment. The station played the national anthem at midnight and TV was over for the day.
When some of the comedians from radio started appearing on the tube, my dad was a big fan; especially of “Uncle Miltie”, Milton Beryl. The only harsh words between my parents that I remember were exchanged when mom wanted the Christmas tree brought in and set up and dad was not about to do it because his favorite show was starting. No taping back then.
Years later, when Ken and I were newlyweds and our money was tight, my young husband wanted to sign up to buy on time a “build your own” television set. The price was three hundred dollars! We paid it out each month and they sent him another part. We used that little TV for the next three years. In our first home It was placed in the corner where two low bookcases came together. That arrangement would have been fine except that baby son # 1 insisted on climbing up over the bookcase shelves to get down in back of the “open” TV set to check out his dad’s work, but I was terrified of the open electronic danger.
Soon our TV sets became bigger, enclosed in cabinets of course. My little daughter loved Romper Room and By that time my two toddlers were joined by #2 son and they all enjoyed American Band Stand and Wallace and ladmo. Their TV viewing was limited, of course, but when they became teenagers, they wanted one show and their dad wanted another, usually the news or an educational documentary. No one dreamed of owning two television sets!
I enjoyed watching Monday night football with Ken in later years, but my first love was the tennis tournaments. Then as time went by and TVs have come and gone, along with my eyesight. I returned to reading. It wasn’t fun to watch sports when you couldn’t see the scores and other important graphics. Then one day my grandson was looking at my small set and asked me why I didn’t get a big, flat screen. He said, “I can find you one at a good price. They are always on sale in the fall”. We talked price and he arrived the following weekend, along with his son to put a big 75” on the wall and do all the setting up.
I just watched the Women’s US Open championship this afternoon and it was wonderful.
Now if I can just keep from being startled by that stranger in my living room!