Touch Not Screen

In recent times,I cannot recall a single occasion when I walked up to the television set and pressed the button on,myself.
When I join the rest of the house at the dinner table,the t.v is already chirping.That is the only time I watch it awhile.
The old familiar pressing urgency to be at home at a particular hour,for a T.V show has quietly left me,over time.
Only a few years back,things were so different.
As a child,I remember my family owned a black and white T.V that came in a wooden box with a shutter.
If,any day,the wind blew too hard,the antenna on the rooftop rotated while the picture trembled onscreen.We (the kids in the house)dashed up the stairs, struggled on with the rod,and bully the antenna back to its proper position.
When I was a little older,I remember one day parents brought home a colour T.V.
It was a Videocon 21 inch set.Few weeks later we even got a video cassette recorder.
Back in those days,only a few families owned a colour T.V,fewer still had a video player.
The VCR,in particular,brought us instant stardom in our neighbourhood.
Whenever dad got any children's movie,all the kids who lived closeby,were invited to watch.
Those evenings were so special.
All my friends finished their homework early and came over to my house to watch a 'Sonar Kella' or a 'Sound Of Music' or a 'Born Free'.
Next day and for a few more days to come,all we spoke of,on our way back from school was ,that movie we saw.
Gradually,T.V ,video players,cable channels ,private satellite television invaded into many more households.
Initially those were exciting too.Movies round the clock,sports channels,famous television shows dubbed in regional languages.
It was overwhelming.Overnight,my preference changed from some old 'doordarshan' show to a 3D animation picture.
I nearly knew all the show timings by heart.
Then,there were even more animations,more movies,more channels.
My attention grew shorter with every new show,till,there came a time when after 5 mins of flipping channels,I thought best to turn the set off.
Parents changed the old Videocon for a brand new BPL Sanyo.A few years later they got a Sony LCD installed in the living room.
In these years,the kids grew up,parents got even more busy with their lives.
Interestingly,the number of television sets ,in our house ,grew too.
We now have a TV in each of the bedrooms and at one big LCD in the living room.
But we are too squeezed for time to watch.
I spot a bright light here.I may not have a real date for days,no worries - I just have to remember how the channel companies are fighting over me,a slice of my time?
Keeping me in good humor,means everything to them.