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In the early 1990's, living in Boca Raton, Florida, our house nearly missed being struck by lightening. While we didn't endure a fire or even a hole in our roof, the incredible force of the strike shot through our electrical system and through our surge suppressors.

The losses we sustained included:

• New large television set
• New state-of-the-art VCR
• Computer modem
• Computer motherboard

With insurance to cover replacement costs of all our electronics, Murphey's Law was in charge. Of course, our old and nearly dead television and VCR came out unscathed. Boo.

In any event, waiting through the claims process, there was no television in the main part of our home.

If you had asked me if I watched a lot of television before “the accident,” I would have denied it. But I soon learned how deluded I was. Apparently the television had become a companion for mundane tasks (like very, very slowly folding laundry) and a comforting source of background noise.

Once I went through my withdrawal I was able to acknowledge what a time-waster the television was. I was determined not to let the TV takeover happen again. For years I didn't substantively watch television at all. In fact, for about a decade there was only one television show (Early Edition) that I was familiar enough with to know (in the days before DVRs) the day and time it aired.

I lived my life without ever seeing a single episode of Friends, Survivor, or pretty much any other series that dominated pop culture. And I was proud of it.

We now have a satellite subscription and I recommend it for those who want to maximize viewing efficiency by skipping commercials with a DVR. Still, if anyone is honest, the plethora of channels doesn't really mean endless hours of quality viewing. It just means more ways to waste time.

In the last couple of years, however, I've decided I can handle a bit of television without going overboard. So here is a list of my carefully selected shows I sometimes enjoy:

• The O'Reilly Factor
• Leverage
• Covert Affairs
• White Collar

What are your favorites?

Alison Moore Smith is a 61-year-old entrepreneur who graduated from BYU in 1987. She has been (very happily) married to Samuel M. Smith for 40 years. They are parents of six incredible children and grandparents to two astounding grandsons. She is the author of The 7 Success Habits of Homeschoolers.