Friday, March 8, 2013

The Sound Of Silence

Do you have a TV-free zone? That was the question I asked of the receptionist in the out patient waiting room at the hospital. The lady just smiled at this foolish old man. I wanted to find a place where I could concentrate on my reading rather than being distracted by some mindless TV voice and laugh track. With no TV-free zone, I relocated to a far corner where the TV sound was less, but I was still able to hear when my name was called.

With the flat screen TV technology, they are becoming more ubiquitous. In a restaurant after that Sabino Hike, on the wall in the main dining room of the Mexican restaurant was a huge TV in a frame. If displaying a changing scenery of photos of Arizona and beyond, it would have been an acceptable distraction. Why a TV tuned to some sports channel in a restaurant dining room?

Why is there a TV everywhere? Waiting rooms for doctors, hospitals, dentists and automobile service. Seen them in banks and hotel lobbies. No doubt there are more venues where a TV can be found. Seems most people would prefer passing time watching some mindless TV rather than reading, meditating or just relaxing. This is the world I live in.

Heading out for a hike is one way to get away from the TV. However, even there I've seen the occasional jerk playing their personal music drowning out any nature sounds within a hundred feet. Fortunately, that is a rarity.

Going on a hike searching for the sound of silence. Bye.

6 comments:

  1. Bravo Lloyd!

    I fear this is what we've become... a nation of idiots.

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  2. I'm always thrilled to see one of my doctors. Nothing in his office but SILENCE.Wish they were all like it!

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  3. My dermatologist has adopted this no tv zone in the waiting room and I commented on it to the doctor. She appreciated it and said she would have NO TV ever in her entire building. No radio junk either.

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  4. I wish they had them as they never are showing anything I like :)

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  5. We ate in a restaurant a few weeks ago, fine Italian dining....at least 6 large flat screen TVs, no table where you wouldn't see at least one of them. As if the dinner conversation from the very full restaurant and the kitchen noises weren't loud and grating enough! One screen was showing America's Funniest Home videos. Why not just order a pizza delivered and watch that at home? I don't get it. We don't have a TV in the Optometrist office where I work, I would imagine it would be distracting trying to have a conversation with patients with that racket in the background.

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  6. Email received from Phil:

    Don’t you need one of these? http://www.thinkgeek.com/product/9a06/

    ReplyDelete

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