The epic battle: TV vs. hobbies

My friends used to think it was quirky but “very Jessica” that I didn’t own a TV in my apartment. I never had one in my dorm room in college, and couldn't squeeze one into my small city apartment later on, so I've grown accustomed to life without sitcoms and evening dramas [I suppose if I was really determined I could watch shows on the internet, but by now I've completely lost track of the new shows].

Now that I’ve moved home with my parents TV has started to become part of my nighttime routine, especially since my parents are both addicted to a nightly Chinese-language soap opera.

I have newfound appreciation for the amount of time TV can potentially consume. Before my days fell into the rhythm of:

7-9:30 run or craft, breakfast, shower

10-6 work

7-10:30 dinner, call boyfriend, hobbies, household chores, miscellaneous things that need to be taken care of

With the reappearance of television in the landscape I accomplish much less in the evenings. Not that accomplishment for the sake of productivity was ever the ultimate goal, but I enjoy my hobbies. I love making things or writing to friends or reading a good book. And while television would seem a sad excuse not to do the things I enjoy, it is true that actively overcoming the inertia of constant, passive entertainment can take far longer than I’d care to admit. I know I’m not alone in this.

I'm not against television per say, but I definitely need to find ways to work around it's constant draw. I have some projects that require handwork that can be completed in front of the TV so that's one temporary solution, but I'd like to find a more permanent one that limits the total hours I watch. When I head to school in the fall I won't be furnishing my place with a TV, but I know that eventually I may get one, so it's handy to start thinking up solutions now.