People seem to be going stir-crazy right now. I’d love to be going to Boston every other weekend, seeing shows on Broadway, flying to Savannah or California, and going to the movies or out to dinner. Of course I miss those things, but it’s not an onerous punishment to be staying at home. Some people have indicated they are getting bored. It’s always been my opinion that only boring people get bored.
There are more books in the world than can ever be read, more music than can ever be heard, more nuances in the texture of a single ceiling if you know how to look and examine and explore the wondrous working of the mind.
When I was a kid every once in a while I’d work myself into a state where I would think I had nothing new to do, and I’d whine and complain to my mother that I was so bored. Wisely, my mother ignored my aimless whining, allowing me to work through it on my own. It sucked and I hated it, but it made me a better person. I learned patience. I learned quiet. I learned how to be ok sitting still and doing nothing. And for all of my adult life, I have been able to enjoy being quiet and doing nothing. There is such a sense of peace in that. I don’t see that in today’s youth, nor in some of my own generation. People freak out if there’s no television or wifi. They can’t stand to have a few minutes of stillness and silence.
I think it’s because we have been conditioning ourselves to be constantly stimulated and occupied. I never needed that, and I’m much happier because of it. Too many people are tormented by their inability to simply be – to sit in the stillness, to sit in the company of yourself, to be quiet and to be ok with the silence. When you can do that, it’s almost impossible to be bored. Every moment and every situation is the opportunity to return to yourself and the little space you’ve made in the universe.
And if you’re still bored after exploring the interior of your mind, just go on TikTok and follow @alanilagan already.
