Smith Kids MSU Tailgate

Smith Kids MSU Tailgate
Dominica, Veronica, Rebel and Miranda

Monday, March 14, 2011

The Last Lecture

Since giving up television we spend a lot more time reading.  I have read eight books and I am working on my ninth one, The Last Lecture by Randy Pausch.  I actually read it once and I am reading it for a second time.  It is one of those books that has so much wisdom to pass along to readers that you have to take the time to really dissect it as you read otherwise you miss some important stuff.  Of all the books I have recently read, this one has been the most thought provoking and inspiring.

What would you do if you learned you have just months to live?  That is the million dollar question that is raises.  Would you take on such a big assignment as performing a Last Lecture at a well reknowned university like Randy? Or would you just party like a rock star without a care in the world?   Or perhaps you would try to fit both in to you last days.  Either way, think about that question this morning.  It will probably lead to good things.

The book works to solidify why I wanted to do NOTV2011 in the first place; I wanted to make the most of my time and to be more productive and most importantly I wanted to be more passionately involved with my kids.  I believe it is working on all fronts.  The kids and I have a great routine in place that no longer involves the use of the television whatsoever.  We do spend much more quality time together (tub side tea parties, icicle picking, going to car parades just outside our house and much much more). I am getting more organized than I was and I hope to someday actually be able to actually label myself as "organized" by mainstream standards.  I am much more productive without television in my life.  I think about all that I get done in the evenings now and I wonder how I ever fit television in to my busy schedule.

One of the best quotes in the book was by Walt Disney, "If you can dream it, you can do it!" The quote is so simple, yet so powerful at the same time.  Of course as the book points out, you also have to be willing to do the work that makes your dreams possible.  So first I dreamed of life without television and now I am working hard doing it.  NOTV2011 feels like the right thing for me to be doing, or maybe more accurately said it seems like the right thing for me to not be doing.

Anyhow, we have a busy weeks scheduled full of many activities, none of which involves a television, so you may not hear from us as regularly but rest assured that we are not watching television more than likely we are reading a good book!
Vern Out

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