About six or seven years ago, my husband brought home a TiVo. It was one of the first DVRs (digital video recorder) on the market and my husband’s then employer received a slew of them directly from TiVo because they wanted to promote this new technology. In return for trying the TiVo, we received (and still receive) the service for free.

At the time, we had one child and another on the way. We didn’t fully grasp the necessity for the recording, pause, fast forward or rewind features. Now…three children later…we totally get it! In addition to our classic TiVo machine, we also have a DVR from our cable company. During the height of the television season, we often have both DVRs busy recording the prime time lineups. Needless to say, the DVR has become a modern staple in our lives.

So, today I’m here at my sister’s place in Chicago. She doesn’t have a DVR and I’m seriously distressed. What?! I have to wait for a commercial to go to the bathroom? I can’t rewind that totally funny part of the show? I can’t fast forward past this painfully boring part of the show? Eh…no fun.

In resignation I retreat to the bedroom to read a book. As I settle into the periodic monotony of reading, I feel compelled to fast forward through the pages. It’s not going fast enough, I think, I want to get through this faster to find out what will happen.

It occurs to me that my addiction to the DVR has propelled my impatience to a whole new level. Gratification can’t come fast enough sometimes. Even when I’m watching a previously recorded show from my DVR back home, I fast forward through an episode just to quicken the satisfaction of knowing what happens at the end.

I realize that my children are also being affected by our DVR obsession. They share my disbelief when we go to someone’s house who doesn’t have the ability to pause, fast forward or rewind the TV. Ultimately, we’ve developed a habit of wanting to pause, fast forward and rewind our lives…but that technology hasn’t been invented yet and I’m not sure I want it to be.