My blog (as dormant as it has been in recent years) still informs me when I last cut the cord - September 2013. At that time, I wired up an external digital antenna and beefed up my streaming capability.
I'm not really sure when I decided to re-enter the cable fray; guessing it was 2-3 years ago, perhaps around the time mom passed - was feeling a little punk / lonely and I had some extra mom legacy money. I also think the results of the 2016 election factored in, when I kind of tuned out of public radio (my usual 24/7 jam) because 45 was all over the news. So I signed up for a promotional package.
Sometime over the past year I realized that the promotional rate had expired, that I was paying full boat for cable / internet / phone package, and that I was stuck with a contract through the fall. To add to my frustration, Comcast had steered me into paperless billing and automatic payments, so I never really took notice of what I was paying (smart on their part, and more reason to be cranky about them as a corporate entity). So my promo rate (reasonable) bumped up to full boat (ugh) and then another $20 or so recently (contract expired? annual price gouging?). It was enough to get me to cut the cord, again.
Evidence of my energy in that direction - yesterday I called, cancelled, disconnected, returned the equipment, reconnected the antenna, and cleaned up / re-bundled the cables (and this on my busiest yoga day, teach two classes). They offered me a lower rate / better package (and I'm sure a lot of folks play the "I'm cutting the cord" card as a negotiating tool) but by the time I make the call, I've got a good head of steam up and I'm not likely to be dissuaded, no matter how good the offer.
I'm still paying a lot for a premium internet service (I regularly need to sling around 1 GB files for work) and a landline (also needed for work, I regularly get on long calls where I'd prefer not to be on mobile, and having a landline with speakerphone is useful) - but it's about $80 less than what I paid last month.
But more interesting to me is the social and cultural stuff that comes along for the ride. I've definitely dropped into the habit of planting my ass on the couch to channel surf. My vices: American Pickers, First 48, Live PD. Nothing I can't live without, and in the case of the law enforcement reality stuff, probably stuff that's brainwashing me. So no big loss there. The one thing I was a little punk about was MSNBC - I'm not watching regularly but it's nice to have - but I can stream shows the next day via Roku, and I realized that I've got the live audio stream of all the big news channels via Sirius XM (also on Roku). So no big loss there.
And there's just a little part of me that equates cutting the cable to my overall rejection of the culture - from relationships to career to holidays to religion to social events to television. Which is not a particularly good thing. But on the other hand, it's easy to practice non-attachment, at least to the things that most of the people in this culture are bound up in.
Although I guess one could say I am attached to detachment. For what that's worth.
No comments:
Post a Comment