The End of the World As We Know It

My older sisters are constantly reminding me about how lax Mom and Dad have gotten with me and my brother since when they were living at home. I have to admit they're right. I remember when they were teenagers and I was a kid, and they had a lot more rules then Peter and I do.

Mostly, my parents have gotten more relaxed about the amount of media in our house. When I was little we had no channels, played no video games, and didn't really use the internet. And considering the fact that we went to Waldorf school, it was interesting enough that we had a tv. I remember being excited when we got one with a remote.

A few years ago, by brother rented a game cube, and instantly fell in love with pressing buttons and pretending he was a car racer/warrior/all star basketball player. Seeing it as a good incentive, my mother told him that if he practiced his piano for a certain amount of hours each month, he could rent one again at the end.

My dad saw a way to make this venture cheaper. Why didn't we buy a game cube and just take it out at the end of each month? Yes, that was an excellent notion, and the cube would only be out at the end of each month. Right?

My brother is a mastermind. The game cube remained out. The piano was forgotten and eventually quit.

So when Nintendo came out with the Wii, my brother was prepared. Our house became riddled with comments like; "Oh, but you move around. It's video games with exercise. Jason has one (my brother-in-law)."

That Christmas, we got a Wii. My sisters were all shocked and appalled. At least until they made their own Mii's and played some tennis. I might also add that I often see my brother playing his "exercising video games" from the couch. Although that's a bit harsh. He does, after all, play some kind of sport in every season.

Last week, I came home from school. My mother was in the kitchen. She looked up from whatever she was doing at the table and said these fatal words;

"Elena, we're getting cable. The guy's coming to install it next Thursday."

(I'm busy looking in the fridge) "That's nice Mom, did you know that the 12 year old who killed her family in Medicine Hat only got six years? (What she says finally hits me)

WHAT????????????????

"We're getting cable, honey."

"Who are you? And what have you done with my mother?"

"We thought we'd give it a try. Your brother and dad can watch their sports games, I can watch the history channel, and you can finally watch the news. But it's only a trial, if you and Peter don't moderate how much you watch, it's gone."

So now here we are. My brother and his friends are watching March Madness and will be for the next several days. My parents, the people who raised me with the idea that tv is evil and rots your brain and couldn't I just read a book or go outside, have got cable.

It truly is the end of the world as I know it. The world has ceased to make sense.

Jim and Karyn Redd got cable.