Ode to the Televsion Set

Since the first TV rolled off of the assembly line. We were all fascinated by it. To see a picture transmission in the comforts of your own home was amazing verses just hearing voices over the radio. They first started in black and white. At the time were very expensive and not in most homes like today.

TV’s had a hand dial to change the channel and an antenna. Remember the days when you were forced to get exercise and walk to the TV to change the channel. When the TV got fuzzy we all got very creative.We would put aluminum foil on the antenna and use wire hangers. One of my favorites was when you would make your children stand there and hold the antenna so you could finish watching your sports game.
Thanks Dad.

TV makers got more inventive by making them in color and having a remote. One of the first remote’s I can remember had a very long cord that stretched across the floor to your couch. You may have tripped over it causing bodily injury but it never out weighed the fact now you did not have to get up to change the channel. At the end of this cord was what reminded me of a hospital emergency call button. When you pressed this button, the channel only moved forward.

Now every Saturday morning as a child I had a tradition that was very important to me to follow since I played soccer. It meant the difference between a good or bad game. I would sit down before my game to watch one of my favorite programs. Now being that this so called hospital button only moved the channel forward. I cannot tell you how frustrating it was when the channel moved too fast and always skipped over the Smurf’s.

Technology advanced more when they came out with the cordless remote. Now we could actually type in  the channel we wanted to watch. No more long cords to fall over. Did not have to wait for the channels to go all the way forward to get to the channel you wanted. We were set.

The biggest problems we have with the TV today are how to change the channel when we cannot find the remote and trying to find something we want to watch through the hundreds of channels we have today. Tough Stuff. So I say Ode to the Television Set for making me lazy and glued to your awesome screen.