The Beauty of No Technology

There are just some things that are hard to explain.  

Like say, rocket science, or astrophysics.  

But, I wasn't schooling the kiddies in higher sciences.  I was talking about cartoons.  The conversation should have gone silky smooth, but, it didn't.  

Expecting a brief talk after days of rain and some comfort cartoon watching, I stood up, clapped my hands, and stated emphatically, "Ab.  Turn off the cartoons.  Your brain is going to fry. Time to put it to use."

Instantly, the whine started, "But, mom . . ."

And this time E joined in, "Mom, I don't want to use my brain today!"  I chuckled at his turn of phrase, but remained firm.

"Nope.  No whining and no more cartoons.  Find something to do!"

With that, Ab grumpily trudged over to the TV and turned it off.  Her poopie face told me that she was not pleased (and that I was probably doing something right!).  Trying to lighten the mood, I tried a new tactic.

"You know, when I was little, there weren't all of these cartoons."

Her interest must have been slightly piqued, because she said, "There wasn't?"

I grabbed the opportunity and answered, "Nope!  We had to wait for a whole week to watch cartoons.  They only came on on Saturday morning."

She laughed, shook her head, and said, "Mom!  Stop it.  You are lying."

This time it was time for me to laugh!  "I am not lying, kiddo.  Saturday morning was the only day for cartoons, and we only had three channels."

She thought about that for a second then countered, "Well, that's not so bad.  Three channels of kid shows means you had Disney, Nick and one other one." (She must be learning her rationalization skills from her mother!)

"Ab,"  I answered patiently,  "Three channels total!  Not three kids' channels. No Disney.  No Nick.  Just stuff like the  Smurfs, Spiderman, and Scooby and the Harlem Globetrotters."

She just stared at me with that open-mouthed awe-filled look.  Finally, she said, "Mom.  I am so sorry that it was so bad for you when you grew up."

I found her concern so, so, so funny, but I held my giggles in and threw out another doozy.  "And . . . "  I paused for dramatic effect, "you had to change the channel with a pair of pliers."

And before Ab could give her reply, E piped in, "Did you lose your remote like we do?"

I laughed and explained, "No.  There were no remotes."

I could tell by the expressions on their faces that I could have just as easily been describing the depths of hell.  They just could not grasp a world without remotes.  

"No remotes?"

"No."

"None?"

"None.  You had to actually get up, walk across the room, and change the channel on the TV with a knob."

Silence.  Their little brains were whirring with all of this new information.  It's amazing that I didn't smell smoke.

And with heads shaking in disbelief, my kiddies departed to a rainy day afternoon of building towers and playing with action figures and dolls.  Just pure,  no technology fun.  Beautiful!

That is, no tech, if you don't count the movies they took of their action figures as they scaled the block tower.

Still beautiful, none-the-less.

****** Check out The Inspired Room for other Beautiful Friday moments.