Family life

In an age where media seems to have taken over civilization, I've been thinking about the turn that society as a whole has taken. When I say it's taken over civilization, I mean society's spirit, inner core; ideas, ways of thinking; morals, values. The direction it's going is certainly not good.

In the way I mean media, ever since people could watch things move on a little box in their own home set to sound, humankind has been addicted to the stories they hear and see on television. When I look at the kind of shows on tv nowadays, most of it makes me want to gag! I can think of my favorite television show growing up that was contrary to today's common norm. About the time that it was cancelled would be described by many as the fall of decent family television ... a time where morals and values were expressed with drama, mystique, interesting characters that you couldn't wait to get to know better with the next week's episode. Shows that conveyed the strengths as well as weaknesses of the human condition, teaching morals without rating high on the hokey meter.

The show was Dr Quinn, Medicine Woman. It was a show that families sat down every Saturday night to watch together. It was a time set aside, to stop living in a thousand directions, to drop what you were doing and just spend an hour together without distraction watching an actual decent show and learn a little something ... whether it was a moral teaching or even the historical context that was incredibly accurate. During the commercials, you'd talk about what happened that day, things you were excited about that was going on in your life. When it was over, you'd be excited about what would happen next week, even amazed or surprised by something that happened that night.

I've been watching some old episodes, and it brought back fond memories. I remember it having the same effect as a nascar race in our house, something rare ... when it was on, the channel was not to be changed. It was how we spent our Saturday nights ... Dr Quinn, followed by Walker, Texas Ranger. Occasionally, mom would try to put me to bed after Dr Quinn, but I'd usually find some way to stay up and watch Walker with my parents :)