Resolution #170: Upcycle My Unwanted Big Screen TV Into A Planter...

Date: 6-19-2014

Due Date: 6-19-2015

Resolution: The other day I was trying to get rid of a large chunk of my worldly possessions by donating them to the Salvation Army. They showed up with a big truck and didn't take a single item.

I knew this stuff was going to be hard to get rid of and it seemed like all roads were leading to the dump. The only problem is, I no longer own a truck so this would involve finding someone to pay, burden, or both. I quickly decided to demolish everything and sneak the rubbish down to the dumpster, one piece at a time.

So far I got rid of my love seat and have the pieces to my box springs waiting to be ditched throughout the week.

Of the items I was getting rid of, my big screen TV was the only thing I hesitated to ditch. I have a lot of fond memories with this thing. The first memory is buying the thing while coming down from mushrooms about 16 years ago. This was around the only time in my life that I felt rich and was able to buy an item like this on a drug-fueled whim.

I lived in a party house and this thing quickly became the centerpiece to many crazy nights. It moved with me from house to house and even ended up with me in Canada when I moved there to go to school. It moved back home with me to San Diego where I tried to turn my schooling into a career by living closer to LA, only to move back with me to Seattle where I actually started to work in film.

Up until a few years ago, television, in general, was a huge part of my life. Whether or not I was watching anything that Big TV was always on. As time went by and my roommate count dropped lower and lower I spent more time in front of a computer monitor alone and less time in front of the television with friends.

I think the lack of a shared viewing experience is the ultimate reason my interest in entertainment has diminished. I've replaced ruining TV by talking over shows to silently listen to podcast conversations as I write down my words.

This Big Screen TV is not only a connection to the shows that I watched but the friends from all over the world that shared these times with me. I really didn't want to let it go but I also don't really want to have this type of attachment to a material good, especially now that it doesn't work as well and mainly is taking up limited space.

As I took apart the TV's back panel to make the TV garbage-can-sized, I started to think if got rid of the back hump this thing can hug pretty close to the wall.

Then I looked to the starts of my indoor garden and realized I could gut this thing, add a grow light, and repurpose this thing into an artsy planter!!!

Repurposing would make it new and useful again and that's what I'll do. This will allow me to hang on to the memories while still getting rid of the junk.

Result #170: I Probably Would’ve Failed This One Either Way… But… I No Longer Have The TV… Because Of My Move… So I Couldn’t Continue On… Even If I Wanted To…

Update #1: The Conclusion…

Date: 6-19-2015

TV played such a big part in my upbringing that I love the idea of repurposing old sets into something worth looking at again. Hopefully, someday I'll revisit this resolution and create a big screen garden. Unfortunately, it will not be my old trusty big screen that was the last reminder of purchases made back when I was sort of rich.