What Black and White TV Taught Me

Today we are discussing what black and white tv taught me. This blog is for those who want to remember the good old days. When I say black and white tv, what show do you immediately think of?

I remember my dad had one black and white tv, out in his garage. I don’t know if he had it for nostalgic purposes or if he just didn’t want to get a good, used color tv dirty in his garage. Either way, there were memories tied into this old black and white tv. All I know is, there were many lessons to be learned from this tv as well.

1. There was no remote control to this tv. This was the day I learned that there was a time in the past when you had to get up, off the couch, to change the channel. We were probably more patient in the past due to the fact that we would have waited on the commercials because we did not want to get up and change the channel. Also we may have more physically fit at the same time, due to the fact that we had to get up and change the channel between tv shows, instead of just pushing a button from the comfort of our recliner.

2. There were usually only five total channels that worked and one of them was always PBS. Lucky for us kids (sarcasm emphasized here). We sure did learn a lot of educational stuff while on Summer Break from school too. When nothing was on tv to watch, my dad always put the channel on PBS.

3. I remember my dad explaining when black and white tv became in color. I thought someone one day just flipped a switch or something like that as a kid. My dad taught me how people used to watch their color tvs with their curtains wide open, just so you knew they had one. “My how times have changed,” he would say as now people have fancy high def, 3D, color tvs and are afraid of being robbed.

4. My dad was a teacher, so he explained things while watching PBS. We learned a lot. We even learned why the old black and white tv took forever to warm up before you saw a picture. Ah, memories.

5. With our black and white tv, you had to have rabbit ears (antenna) to get it to work and not be a scratchy picture. There are many bonding moments as we would joke about having to put one foot in the air just to get our show to be clear.

Store your Sentimental Memories in a DIY Time Capsule

In this garage full of memories and nostalgia, I learned how to laugh with my dad. I learned about how to fix my own brakes, change my oil, put together wood projects for our house, how to date a guy, about science, how to write an essay, complete homework, do math, etc. I also still have the Gilligan’s Island and Bonanza theme songs stuck in my head to this day. I would not trade any of this. I learned a lot while watching black and white tv in our garage growing up.

Save all your precious memories, like me, in a Family Time Capsule. Get your own “Any Occasion” DIY Time Capsule and turn it into a Family Time Capsule by putting any photos of your family on the outside of this decorative tin. Then have each family member fill out the included “Message to the Future” stationary letters about predictions, words of wisdom, or fun stories and lessons learned. Then put the letters in the Family Time Capsule along with other sentimental and tangible items around your house that remind you of your family.

In 20, 30, or 50 years, re-open the Family Time Capsule. What a special day that will be as you all gather around and laugh or cry as you read those letters and see what items you had saved for years in the time capsule. Get your own DIY Time Capsule today here.

What do you remember from black and white television? Comment below.

Making Milestone Moments Count,

– Marcie