Alex,
What you're talking about is one of the writer's imperatives: "Show, don't Tell" is only half the game; the greater part is "Imply, don't Show."
The better clarity you're finding in seeing the world is because to tell a story by implication, you have to be a very fine observer. You cannily mention the small details, folk will fill in the big ones from their own experience.
There's a trouble with theatre in that someone has already decided what a certain character will look like by casting certain actors and making certain choices. With a novel, you fill these in in your head, and with poetry, you can fill things in even more so.
However, I did the "life without television" for a year or so in college, finally deciding I was cutting off my nose to spite my face, as there was simply too much good cultural content I was missing out on. Though I'll admit that having a TIVO clone box makes it much easier to simply stack up shows I want to watch for when I have time.
Kevin
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