So I’m sitting here at Lorrie and Danny’s, waiting until I’m tired enough to sleep, and the TV is on. Danny doesn’t feel right if the TV isn’t on, it seems. I know a lot of people that feel the same way. It’s like a companion.
One of the things that Danny enjoys ‘watching’ (existing nearby?) is anything on the TruTV channel. I’m pretty sure I’ve commented on it before, but it’s all reality programming like police chases and COPS. It has struck me on how much television has changed since the days I watched regularly.
So much is ‘instant gratification’ TV with bite-size clips of destruction, damage, and so-called amazing footage. Even shows like Dirty Jobs on the Discovery Channel is designed around smaller segments.
Is the rest of the world this way? Is television generally moving into a more piecemeal format? Or am I just exposed to this portion of the available programming?
(it’s also normal to have shows like Entertainment Tonight on. Ugh, tabloid journalism!)
Rhys Martin is an author and photographer from Tulsa, Oklahoma. His love of travel was awakened in 2009 when he sold all of his possessions and left the country. For ten months, he lived out of a backpack and explored southeast Asia and Europe. When he returned home, it was with fresh eyes for his home state.
As he drove the back roads of Oklahoma, Rhys discovered the significance of historic Route 66 to the greater American story. He has traveled all 2,448 miles of the Mother Road and continues to seek out the quiet Main Streets of the Midwest.
Rhys's travel writing and photography has been featured in numerous publications, including Tulsa People Magazine, This Land Press, ROUTE Magazine, Nimrod Journal, The Oklahoman and Tulsa World. He wrote the book Lost Restaurants of Tulsa, which features the stories of nearly 50 iconic eating establishments from the city's past. He has also been a contributing author to multiple Route 66-based travel and history books.
Rhys is the President of the Oklahoma Route 66 Association and serves on multiple boards and commissions related to the Mother Road and its upcoming Centennial in 2026. He loves to connect with people and share his experiences.
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