A bit of a sad goodbye

 When my last grand aunt died in August, just days before her 103rd birthday, her celebration of life was delayed by hurricanes, damage and home repairs and because much of the remaining family would come from elsewhere, scheduling. She survived all of her close friends, and her place of worship had been razed, so her daughter was not initially sure what to do.

After much thought and planning, the arts center named for her older sister and brother-in-law was chosen, catering was completed and the remaining family came, minus yours truly, who cannot travel. I was surprised that 150 were planned for. A video, some poems, stories, music and more than a few sweet memories will be shared by the assembled and I have been told to expect a video.

She was beautiful, generous, kind and funny and loved her family and friends unreservedly. especially her late husband and their daughter. 

A candle is burning here in her memory.

As was said in her obituary, heaven has indeed gained another star.

A whole lot of blah. blah, blah

 My reading continues. One of the comments from my last post asked why anyone would care if I did not want a television. Apparently, at least two individuals of my acquaintance did, to the point of asking about it or telling me that I would regret not having one.

Growing up, my maternal grandparents had a 50's era set that was huge, an actual piece of furniture which they kept until moving back to the US from their jobs overseas. When my mother and I moved from their home in the early sixties, we did not have a TV. It wasn't until late 1965 or early 66 that we were gifted one from a former boyfriend of my mother's who was moving. presumably to a new duty station. It too was rather large and black and white and held my interest only briefly. usually in the evenings.

When my mother remarried in 1969, both she and stepfather had televisions, so we had one in the living room and the other in their bedroom. They sometimes competed with one another which made for intolerable noise levels for me, so I was usually the one to turn off the set and retreat to a book. For my eleventh birthday, I was surprised with a small portable black and white TV which, along with a mini fish tank, stole valuable real estate from my upright chest of drawers. My mother and her husband considered the television a mark of affluence and took pleasure from being able to provide that. My portable lasted into the mid-eighties when I then purchased a slightly larger color set from a roommate that did not wish to move it when she left. 

I had that set until 2009 when the world switched from analog to digital and the box purchased from the government to aid in reception did not work in this apartment. I returned it and because I was also downsizing belongings which made my space an obstacle course from a chair, the television, a coffee table and other items were bid farewell despite the protests of a friend who did not understand how I could live without them.

This brings me back to the question of why anyone should care whether I or you choose not to have a resident boob tube. I think that it is easy to make assumptions and never question habits or beliefs and to also think that just because I have always had something that I need it or I'm entitled to it. It may be difficult to understand why another thinks or feels differently, but that is fruit for discussion and learning, not criticism and protestation. 

Anyway, that is my two cents. what is yours?