By Joe Mazzella
KABOOM! “Joey! Disconnect that TV right now!”
I was a boy watching a rerun of Gilligan’s Island in our home in the 1970s. It was a warm, summer afternoon but suddenly a storm rolled in. With that first flash of lightening and crack of thunder my Mom ordered me to disconnect the outside antenna from the TV. I did and dropped it into a glass bowl on the floor. I had never seen lightening strike an antenna and blow up a TV before but Mom wasn’t taking any chances. With no chance of playing outside and no TV to watch I walked over to my old bookshelf and started to reread one of my books for the tenth time.
My little dog, Dukey, saw me in my chair and curled up to nap on my lap. Soon I was lost in the book but felt someone watching me. I looked up and saw my Mom smiling at me from the dining room as she set the table. And in that moment I didn’t mind the storm or lack of television. I could feel Mom’s love and I felt peaceful and happy while I petted my snoozing dog and rain pounded on the roof.
That memory came rushing back to me the other day when our power went out for a bit. Suddenly the phone, internet, and TV were all dead. The house seemed so quiet and I didn’t really mind. In this life we are so over connected with a glut of television, social media, and smart phones. It was a relief to have the quiet back for awhile. Even after the power came back on I kept my TV off, put my smart phone away, and opened up an old book. I petted my dogs as they walked by and read quietly. And I could feel my Mom smiling at me in my heart.
It is good to disconnect from this media crazed world at times. It is good to reconnect to the real world instead. It is good to pet your dogs, hug your loved ones, read a good book, listen to the rain and pray to God. It is good to quiet your phone and listen to your soul. Always remember Life is built with Love. Let nothing distract you from it.
