A couple years ago, I realized I don't really like watching movies. I don't know why I didn't realize sooner. I mean, I can literally count the number of movies I've seen in a theater in my lifetime on two hands (maybe only one... nope, takes two) and I never feel like renting a movie because I can never think of one I want to see (this is not because I'm "holier than thou;" trust me, it's simply that I can never think of one that sounds interesting to me). I used to watch more movies than I do now because... well... honestly?-- I used to watched more movies before getting married and having kids (and thus having evening outings basically eliminated from my life) because my sisters and friends liked to watch movies and I liked to be with them.

Every once in a while there will be a movie I really want to see.

The last time was when the new Pride and Prejudice came out. (I feel a certain sense of obligation to watch films based on favorite books. You know... so I can judge them and always be disappointed by them falling short.) Of course I waited to see it until it was out on DVD/video, and not just because I'm cheap. You see, I've also come to the realization in the last couple years that watching movies in the theater makes me sick. The pitch blackness contrasted with artificial light from a large screen gives me an excruciating headache and the size of the movements due to the size of the screen makes me nauseous. So beware if you ever watch a movie with me in my home: a light will be on if I am present in the room and I will be sitting far from the screen-- farther if you have a TV bigger than 19", which is what I'm accustomed to.

And it was fun to watch. Mostly because I was watching with other people and not because I particularly enjoyed the film.

Every once in a while my family will want to see a movie and, because I still like doing things with them, I'll watch it. (I'm trying to remember the last time I did this... I think it was one night when an old friend was in town and Carina brought this over-- which I found very boring, but at least I was with girls I like.) Typically, I fall asleep before any movie is even 2/3 done. Ask my husband or sisters if you don't believe me.

At any rate, would you believe me if I told you that after sitting around for the past 10 days, I haven't watched a single movie or TV show? This surprises even me, since I'll often turn on this or this or this as a method of relaxation in the evenings. There are lots of days when 8 or 8:30pm rolls around and nothing sounds better than zoning in front of the TV for 30-60 minutes. But when I've spent my days resting a lot (like I have the past 10), I'm not enough of a vegetable come evening for the "zoning" factor of TV/movie-watching to appeal to me.

And even when zoning does appeal to me, 30-60 minutes is usually about all I can take, unless I've got a computer on my lap and can be doing other things at the same time.

*Disclaimer: sports are different, since I don't usually watch the game quite the same way a movie requires watching. Not to mention that any sports-watching is done as a way to share in one of my husband's passions and-- believe me-- sports are a passion with him. We watch baseball (Go Bucs!) and football (Go Steelers!) and hockey (Go Penguins!) and college basketball (Go Pitt!) and... well... you get the idea.*

You see, it isn't that I have anything against movie-watching. In fact, there is often a trailer I'll see or a recommendation I'll hear that sparks a flicker of interest. But when push comes to shove, sitting and doing nothing (not even talking?!?!) for 2-2.5 hours sounds too boring to me.

And this leads me to an all-important question:

Do I have ADD?


P.S. The over-use of italics in this entry makes me think of L. M. Montgomery and the fact that she would nonchalantly attribute this to immaturity and girlhood instability.

But since I'm not 14 years old, maybe she would just say I have ADD.