Truth?
I’m really good at doing nothing.
When I hear people say things like…
“I like being busy”
“I need something to do”
“I can’t sit still.”
I have a really hard time relating to those feelings. If anything, I’m the polar opposite. I’ll sit looking out my back window for hours with everything that needs to “be done” all around me and most of the time I’ll hear myself say “Meh, there’s always going to be something that needs to be done.”
So, there’s no shock here when I tell you how good I am at sinking into the couch watching some new show then right?! I’ll be on the edge of my seat, my heart pounds, my throat may get tight, actually, for that matter, I’ll wonder when the last time I took a breath was. The biggest challenge when I’m watching any show or movie is struggling to stay present. I struggle between trying to stay present and just watch, follow, wait and see what happens next or what feels like my mind franticly searching for answers. Constantly trying to figure out what I think is about to happen next. I’m so invested in the characters, their lines. From the unexpected deaths, to the affairs, the whispers in the dark corners, the suspense. I’m in the scene, I’m invested, I’m feeling everything.
Back in the 90’s, I remember wrapping up work on Thursday’s to be settled by 8:00 p.m. because “shows” were about to start. We were glued to the TV. We talked about it the next day over coffee, in the elevator, in the mailroom, bathroom, lunch breaks, any chance we could. Instantly bonding with even a stranger in line at the grocery store if we heard they liked the same TV show.
The key to that though, I’m realizing now, there was no such thing called “binge watching.” I mean just the word “binge” should be a red flag that it’s not good for us. Binge shopping, binge eating, binge watching, it’s all in the same category of over the top, too much, not healthy. Yet the binge itself, whatever it is, is gratifying.
Four hours of “Sons of Anarchy” for some, “Game of Thrones,” “Breaking Bad,” or maybe “The Crown” for others. The one that got me a while back was “Downton Abbey” and it got me way after the series ended. All my friends had finished with the series already and they were all saying “Oh my Gawwwd that was so long ago.” But to me, it had just begun, and I was attached. The music alone would start my heart pounding, and when things were about to change, the music would change, my mind racing ahead, “Oh man, this isn’t good!” Legs curled all the way tight to my body, cringing, wondering what was going to happen. Sometimes I even felt exhausted after one episode, but I absolutely let the next episode begin and then the next, and the one after that and before long, I’m four and five and six episodes back to back.
It was one random morning I woke up anxiety ridden realizing my thoughts were taking me to the characters. How could Sybil have died? What is Tom going to do now? Who is going to help him? Then it was Mathew. Mathew died and I put the remote down and swore I’d never watch another episode. I couldn’t take it! But, I did, until the night Ana was attacked. Sweet Ana. I couldn’t handle it. I was so shook up. “I’ll never watch another episode” I thought, but I did. (And, for the record, that next episode was the last episode I watched, I never finished watching the series.)
That was the day it dawned on me though. The day I woke up with all the characters on my mind.
“I don’t think my brain, mine personally, is meant to binge watch.”
It’s not healthy for me. I get too caught up in it. I know they’re all actors playing characters and writers who have written amazing lines for each scene, so well done, but part of me thought it was happening now and to people I cared about. I was thinking about them as I was getting ready for work and on the drive in. I could feel the obsession growing and I was feeding it. Sneaking in episodes in ten minute increments throughout the day. If I had a break, I was going to watch it. “Obsessive” is the word you’re looking for here.
However, that’s just me.
For others, I do reallly think there is seriously something to be said about the “down time.” The times binge watching feels like amazing, incredible downtime.
I have a friend who found one show she binged watched and described it as “sweet, innocent, well written and kind of mindless.” It made her laugh. Listening to her, made me hear binge watching could help us. To allow our brain to stop thinking about everything else for two, three or four hours. Almost bringing a contentment or fulfillment of some sort.
And then, Football came to mind.
Sunday mornings in September, I’m about as happy as I could be. Pregame shows over coffee, late breakfasts, listening to the stats, who’s starting, all the interviews, Green Right Slot Spider 2Y Banana explained, and then it’s kick off at 1:00 and I watch it until I got to bed! That’s from 1:00 to 11:00 (technically though, I’m watching pregame shows starting at 10:00 so yeah, I heard it, Wow.) I’m watching game to game to game, binge watching, binge eating, binge drinking, and I’m off the charts. The plays, the passes, the YAC’s, the missed extra points, whatever is happening I’m on the team I’m a Special Teams Coach, the Kicker, the Ref, I’m fully committed and pretty opinionated on what I think I saw during a play.
So, four hours of Downton Abbey I can’t handle, but 10+ hours of football in one sitting is ok?!
I know, I know, I don’t get it either.
Personally, for me, the shows and my brain, my brain’s not equipped for binge watching more then two or three episodes of any specific show back to back. Even if I really, really, really want to keep watching, I don’t. I force myself to stop and digest what I’ve seen and process the show.
So, I guess maybe I’m saying Moderation.
Moderation with binge watching, eating, drinking, shopping and even being lazy or constantly needing to stay busy.
Moderation, it’s not easy.
But, nothing difficult ever is.
#balance#downtime#findyouroutlet
Special Thanks To: Sandra Frazzetta for mentioning “Heart of Dixie” showing me some binge watching may seriously be amazing downtime for people.
Note: YAC=yards after catch. Green Right Slot Spider2YBanana is best explained by Gruden and it’s just fun listening to him.https://www.google.com/amp/s/raiderramble.com/2018/01/02/heck-spider-2-y-banana/amp/
Side Note: Sunday mornings have changed quite a bit since I started working on this piece. Every Sunday we now spend with my guys Mom and well, I’ll write about these sweet, new kind of Sundays we have together, another day.
#mybackwindowview#whocouldgetanythingdoneever
DevineTime 