Friday, May 21, 2010

Next time you tell me you're bored...

...I may take a swing at you. It probably won't be a real one, and it will almost certainly be both ineffective and in jest, but be ready.

It is 2010. We may not have flying cars yet, but even if we did, someone would be sleeping through the trip. A couple notes before we launch into tonight's posts:

1) My instructions are aimed at adults. Teenagers will always be bored. That's practically your job description from 12-18: be bored or overreact. One or both, at all times.

2) Sometimes a little boredom can be nice (emphasis on little). When life is crazy, it can serve as a bizarre respite. What I'm talking about here is the people who complain/announce their boredom. Ok? Here's your instruction.

STOP IT.

If you can't stop it, shut up about it.

Really, boredom comes from selfishness. We've done everything we want to do, or the thing we most want to do is unavailable to us, so we announce that we're bored. God forbid we go engage another human being. God forbid we accomplish something that isn't 110% enjoyable.

Am I preaching to myself as much as you? Absolutely.

I'm not sure if it's a local thing, a hipster thing, a modern thing, a 20something thing, an affluence thing or what, but lately I have heard EVERYTHING called boring.

"Music is boring." So go make some. Or shut up.

"God, tv is so boring." Donate your set and go outside.

"The internet is boring." Really? I imagine if all you do is feed crows on FarmVille and click through pictures from your first cousin-twice-removed's baby shower in Omaha, the internet is boring. However (and I'm sure you've all heard this already, but), I doubt the people involved in this story consider the internet boring.

Boring is not an excuse, and it's not a right to complain. Boring is a luxury, and whining about it is a flaunting of that luxury in front of people who work harder (or at least smarter) than the complainers.

If you're bored, invest in something. Invest in someone. I hope it's clear this isn't necessarily economic investment--it's time, it's value, it's connection. It's not always money. Step outside yourself and find out what someone else wants or needs for a change.

You don't have to change the world. You don't have to champion a cause. You don't even have to believe in anything (though I would recommend believing in something), other than the fact that you are not a self-sustaining island.

You can even stay bored, if that's really what you want. Just don't make me read it on your Facebook status.

2 comments:

  1. LOVE this post. "Boredom" is something that really bothers me... although I'm not sure I agree that teenagers are exempt. :o)

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  2. HA! You are SO RIGHT. (worth all those caps!) There really IS always something to do...and Michelle, right about teens, too...even if it's in the job description, I figure it's in MY job description to figure out how to help her NOT be bored (note: that is entirely different from entertaining her...I gave up that job when they turned 3)..

    Babette

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