Greetings!
In as much as this era of technology is considered the swiftest so far in terms of how life has become easier compared to past years, one thing I know for sure is that the early 2000s were also very fun, given the level of technology available at the time. Maybe I should brag that I am old already, I was very much aware during the days of black and white TVs. In fact, back then, households that owned a black and white TV were considered wealthy because it was always the center of attraction, drawing people from the street to gather and watch. Those who had color TVs were seen as super rich, and their homes were often a no-go area for most of us due to the high level of restrictions imposed by wealthy families.
Way back in those days, my dad was not considered rich, but we had a black and white TV, among few in the street. This was mainly because he was a technology enthusiast—he had all the common household electronics in the living room. Thanks to the availability of a TV in our home, I experienced all the “crazy” things associated with this type of television, especially how tough it was to ‘crack’ to a suitable channel.
Oh yes, I used the word ‘crack’ because the TV had a button that needed to be turned in a crackly manner to switch between channels.
The antenna, installed on a long pole outside the house, was another adventure on its own. One had to keep their neck inside the house to monitor whether the channel was clear while using their hands—or rather, their entire body—outside to turn the pole, which was firmly pinned to the ground. If there were people around and we wanted to change channels or adjust the reception, we would station someone inside the house to shout, “It’s okay now, stop turning!” or “Keep turning, it’s not clear yet!” Those days were truly wild!
The type of TV we had displayed a grainy picture when the channel was unclear, and the only way to fix it was either by adjusting the antenna pole outside or by ‘cracking’ the TV. Lol!
Among all these experiences, one of my fondest memories from that era was during football match seasons. My dad was a big-time football lover, especially when Nigeria was playing. Yes, I inherited this passion from him.
Whenever Nigeria had a match, our compound practically turned into a football arena for the entire neighborhood. My dad would bring out the black and white TV and set it up outside in the compound, arrange chairs, and even buy local gin for anyone interested in drinking while watching the match. At the time, I was not particularly interested in football, so I used to hate the scene—our unfenced compound would be packed with people making loud noises, combined with the blaring sound from the connected speaker placed close to the TV.
Mehn, scenes like that are nowhere to be found in this era!
Thanks for reading.
This is my entry to Digi-prompts of the week
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