Just One Channel — But It’s A Great Channel

I really should have paid better attention to how to make the new television work.  My parents’ main caregiver was gone for the day, and I was so elated over the price I paid for the  replacement, that I never caught on to the ABC’s.  Where’s my old Zenith?  And so, when the new tv was connected to Florida cable, and I was handed two remote controls, I did my best — which just wasn’t quite good enough.  My father looked on, pleased to have a familiar source of entertainment back in his living room, while I studied the controls and, like an astronaut in space for the first time, engaged. Channel 03 it said. I repeated the feedback to my father, as we saw MSNBC appear on command. Rachel Maddow had been waiting for us to return, and we were ready. My father and I listened  for a while — as though we had never seen images and sound light up a screen before.  “What else is on?” he asked, as I began touching buttons on both controls, always making sure that Channel 03 wouldn’t get left behind. “I’m not so sure we can get any other channels, Daddy.”  “Just one channel?” he asked, and I could sense that his faith in my abilities was on a decline. “It’s a great channel — lots of interesting commentators,” giving it my best Madison Avenue spin. “No movies?” he pressed carefully, knowing it was the first day of my visit. “An incredible channel for $50, Daddy!  This is a one-of-a-kind One Channel TV!”  And so the matter rested until their daytime caregiver took matters in hand the next day and showered my parents with movies, commercials, and weather reports of every kind.