More Thoughts on Solitude

In my post below on defining Secular Monastic I started out by talking about solitude. I thought perhaps I'd elaborate more on some of what I said.

First, yes, that's my road looking up the hill towards the "main road" about 1/4 mile away. This was taken in October 2005 as the leaves were about to hit peak. Anyway, as I mentioned I don't have television. When I moved to the woods I was able to test my theory - that I wouldn't miss it if I didn't hook it up - I was never a big watcher, more of a big surfer. My motivation was more thrift than spiritual. Yet certain things became evident the more I lived without. I was not subjected to a constant barrage of commercials telling me how my life wasn't measuring up so I needed to buy their product. I found I snacked much less because I also wasn't watching commercials for food - burgers, chicken, Olive Garden, etc. Most importantly my sense of fear diminished. Have you seen Bowling for Columbine by Michael Moore? I suspected that the documentary would be against gun ownership but it wasn't exactly. What Michael Moore discovered and shared through this film was the culture of fear we live under. Medical studies that tell you X will cause increased stroke or that allowing your children to do Y shows a correlation with delinquent behavior. On the news The Summer of the Shark - when in fact the total number of deaths that season was less than the average. War, violence, death, destruction all packaged to make their "news program" sell better. The cumulative effect though is living in fear - fear of violence, fear of inadequacy, fear of sickness, fear of death. The simple elimination of television broke that media cycle for me. It was liberating. Now I happen to own this great flat screen; however, it serves as a high quality video monitor for me on which I watch DVDs. We are approaching the season of Lent and although I am not usually one for "giving things up" (a negative action) I suggest you consider "giving up" television for Lent. Now those of you with children or uncooperative spouses may find this difficult. That doesn't mean you have to watch though. If you just can't do it then at least rent and watch Bowling For Columbine. It will make you think about the ways we are marketed to in order to provoke a fear response. Peace, my brothers and sisters.