Last night, A. and I did something that felt a little bit wild. We sold our 42-inch flat-screen TV. Finito. Bye-bye. No more TV.
Ditching the TV is something A. and I have been talking about since we met. A. says it’s always been his dream to live TV-less. Neither of us watches much of it (eh em, besides this), and both of us feel sluggish and unproductive when we watch it (unless it’s a big-time sporting event, like the World Cup, but that’s not on for a few years anyway). When we want a down night, we usually read or play a game of chess or listen to music and talk.
So when we signed our lease and assessed our new space, we went through a checklist of what to keep and what to ditch. That’s when we realized that not only do we not really want a TV, we don’t have space for it. A. doesn’t like it when a TV dominates the living room. I don’t like having a TV in the bedroom. That leaves the baby/guest room, and all of the research we’ve read says that TV is bad for the brain before the age of 2. And really, a big honking TV in the baby room seems wrong.
So a few days ago, A. put an ad on Craig’s List to sell the TV for $350. And he got a few responses, including from a guy named Sir Jordan. I was at work when A. sent me an instant message.
“Can you check out this guy on Facebook?”
“Yep, hold please. … He’s affiliated with Howard University. Has more than 1,600 friends.”
“Seems OK?” A. asked.
“Sure. Just sent you a photo.”
“Is he one of Prince William’s knights?”
“Hahaha, yes.”
