I-TV—Ingabe Iyisela Lesikhathi?
UMA othile ebengathi uzokunika amaRandi ayisigidi uma nje uzoyeka ukubuka ithelevishini ukuphila kwakho konke, ubungavuma yini? Umuntu waseMelika oyedwa kwabane okwaxoxwa nabo eminyakeni ethile edlule wathi wayengeke avume. Kwenye inhlolo-vo kwabuzwa amadoda ukuthi yini ayeyifuna kakhulu. Iningi lathi lifisa ukuthula nenjabulo. Kodwa lokhu kwaba okwesibili ohlwini lwezinto azifisayo. Ayekufuna kakhulu la madoda ithelevishini enkulu!
Ithelevishini idla ubhedu emhlabeni wonke. Emuva ngo-1931, lapho ithelevishini isanda kusungulwa, usihlalo we-Radio Corporation of America wathi: “Kunengqondo ukulindela ukuthi inani labantu abayobukela ithelevishini lapho isithuthuke kakhulu lingase lihlanganise bonke abantu abayobe besemhlabeni ngaleso sikhathi.” Lawo mazwi ayengase abonakale eyihaba ngaleso sikhathi, kodwa awalona namuhla. Inani lamathelevishini emhlabeni wonke lilinganiselwa ezigidini eziyizinkulungwane ezingu-1,5, kanti inani labawabukayo lingaphezu kwalokho. Kungakhathaliseki ukuthi uyayithanda noma awuyithandi, ithelevishini inendima enkulu ekuphileni kwabantu.
Siyamangalisa isikhathi abantu abasichitha bebuka ithelevishini. Muva nje, ucwaningo emhlabeni wonke lwabonisa ukuthi, ngokwesilinganiso, abantu babuka i-TV cishe amahora angaphezu kwamathathu usuku ngalunye. Abantu baseNyakatho Melika bayibuka amahora amane nesigamu usuku ngalunye, kanti abaseJapane bahamba phambili ngoba bona bayibuka amahora amahlanu usuku nosuku. Lawo mahora ayanqwabelana. Uma siyibuka amahora amane ngosuku, siyothi siba neminyaka engu-60, siyobe sesichithe iminyaka eyishumi siphambi kwe-TV. Nokho, akekho phakathi kwethu ongathanda ukuba ethuneni lakhe kubhalwe ukuthi: “Lapha kulele umngane wethu othandekayo, owachitha ingxenye eyodwa kweziyisithupha zokuphila kwakhe ebuka i-TV.”
Ingabe abantu bachitha amahora amaningi bebuka ithelevishini ngoba bekujabulela? Akubi njalo ngaso sonke isikhathi. Abaningi bakholelwa ukuthi bachitha isikhathi esiningi kakhulu bebuka i-TV futhi bazizwa benecala lokuthi abasisebenzisanga ngokunenzuzo isikhathi sabo. Abanye bathi “bayimilutha ye-TV.” Kuyiqiniso, ngeke ube umlutha we-TV ngendlela efanayo neyomuntu oba umlutha wemilaliso, nakuba kufana ngandlela-thile. Imilutha ichitha isikhathi esiningi ezidakamizweni ezisebenzisayo. Nakuba ifuna ukunciphisa isikhathi noma ukuwuyeka lo mkhuba, iyehluleka. Idela ubudlelwano obubalulekile nabanye kanye nemikhaya ukuze isebenzise izidakamizwa, futhi ihlushwa imiphumela yokugqashula kuleyo mikhuba uma ingazidlanga izidakamizwa. Zonke lezi zimpawu zingatholakala kubantu ababuka kakhulu ithelevishini.
Inkosi ehlakaniphile uSolomoni yabhala: “Akukuhle ukudla uju oluningi.” (IzAga 25:27) Isimiso esifanayo siyasebenza nasendabeni yokubuka i-TV. Nakuba ithelevishini inokuningi okuwusizo, ukuyibuka kakhulu kungathatha nesikhathi somkhaya, kuthiye ukufunda nokuphumelela kwezingane esikoleni, futhi kungaba nomthelela ekukhuluphaleni. Uma uchitha isikhathi esiningi ubuka i-TV, kuwukuhlakanipha ukuzibuza ukuthi yini oyizuzayo kulokho. Sibaluleke kakhulu isikhathi sethu ukuba singavele nje sisisaphaze. Kuwukuhlakanipha futhi nokucabanga ngalokho esikubukayo. Sizocabangela leyo ndaba esihlokweni esilandelayo.