There was a time, not so long ago, that I didn’t own a TV. The TV licensing authority couldn’t quite believe I was without one, and I would get regular letters from them reminding me of my responsibilities as a TV viewer. They just went into the recycling bin.
In 2019, something changed; I became a dad, and I decided to get a TV. I was determined not to be the sort of dad who just dumped his son in front of the TV every day and, if he watched a comedy and then something serious, considered that a balanced diet. But I decided that a TV would be helpful; it would be one way we could bond together over shared interests, and sometimes it’s nice to use it to relax.
Over the years, we’ve pretty much stuck to that principle. It’s not on all the time; we have plenty of interests outside of that rectangular box in the living room. But Saturday nights are film nights at Casa de Munson, and those are times we cherish; we’ve been through all sorts of series together. During lockdowns, we had a routine; learning until 2.30pm, some fun in the park after that, come home, prepare tea, and then watch Operation Ouch, Scooby Doo, and Horrible Histories. That was our routine, and we loved it.
I’m older than Channel 4 by a year or so, and I had a small TV in my room as a pre-teen. I used to watch cartoons on it very early on a Saturday morning (with the sound down low so I didn’t wake up my parents), but live TV isn’t as “big” as it once was. In fact, I couldn’t honestly tell you the last time I watched anything live. I got a Fire Stick a few years ago, as my TV probably pre-dated the time of the dinosaurs. When my TV retired to the graveyard in the sky earlier this year, my new TV was whizzy and high-tech by comparison, but still no live TV. Instead, Bryan and I watch things on Amazon, Netflix, and so on. Again, not a huge amount, but it’s nice to watch a series together and have that as one of our shared interests.
I’m a great fan of science-fiction and fantasy, so they’re my go-to genres on TV. I’ve introduced Bryan to Star Trek, which I was a huge fan of when I was younger (alright, I still am, I won’t deny it), and we watch a lot of those genres during our film nights. That delights me, as you might imagine.
I spent Friday of this week in my office. In fact, I was in the office twice this week, which was unusual. I’m a home worker, which suits our family, but I do go into the office when there’s a particular need. There were two particular needs this week, so off I jolly well went. It’s nice to have some company every now and then, and get something specific done in the office, but it’s also nice to work from home and be there for my son. I hadn’t ever really worked from home before the pandemic, and I wasn’t really keen on it.
However, enforced home working during a global health crisis helped me think again, and I haven’t worked full-time in an office since March 2020. Maybe one day I will, but I think my career will always be hybrid. Some people don’t like working from home even now, and I respect that, but there’s still a mistrust of home workers by some. I’ve never experienced it myself; I’m trusted to get my work done, and I do, but I suppose there might be a few people who don’t behave themselves while working from their living rooms. I don’t let that small number of people speak for me, and all of those people who actually work properly from home, and in the technological age, it’s wonderful to have a lot of different opportunities on how to work.
I’m hoping vaguely for a relaxed weekend. As I write this, it’s Friday evening, and I’m writing this from Bryan’s dance studios. Saturday will bring another dance class, haircuts, visiting my parents, and a film night, and Sunday will find us down Board at Home in Ramsgate – because that’s our version of rock and roll. Having had a busy week, this weekend will be about spending time with my son, and I can’t think of a better way to end the week than that.
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