Put A Quarter In The Jar

 Bored? Stop To Smell The Roses.

    It seems that everybody is bored these days. Have you noticed? It's a popular topic on Facebook. There's an epidemic of it or so it seems.

    Well, I'm here to make an astounding statement. Hold on tight. Here goes. I've never been bored in my life. Never. Not once. So unfortunately, while I'd like to have some sympathy for the sufferers, I don't. None at all. 

    I get so worked up over people declaring that they are bored that I made it a bad word in our house while my children were growing up. Every time one of them used the word, they had to put money in a jar. 

    Most days, there's not enough hours in the day to be me. Can I get a witness? Between work, home, church and family there's always something to do, somewhere to go, a bill to pay or a meal to cook. So boredom isn't an option. To be bored I'd have to have nothing to do. That's not going to happen in this lifetime.

    But this is the main point I want to make here. I believe the real reason I've never been bored is that I have the ability to entertain myself. Putting all work and obligations aside, there's so many wonderful things to do in a day how could I possibly be bored? 

    Let me give just a few examples. Assuming all the work,cooking and errands are done, let's just say the day is wide open for any possibility. I can go walking, window shopping, looking through old family pictures, spend time with my husband, spend time with my children, play with my nephews, write a letter, email a friend, plant flowers, do research on the internet, work on that book I may never get published, listen to music, rock on the front porch, play with my animals, watch HGTV, go to a yard sale, go to a flea market, go to the beach, sit in the park and watch children play, practice new songs on the piano (I really NEED to do that), or try to learn something new. 

    The most wonderful thing I can do with free time is read! I learned to appreciate reading at a very early age and I'm always disappointed because the movie is NEVER as good as the book. A movie director and producer is no match for my vivid imagination. So, if all else fails,I can pick up a book and be transported to another world just by reading. So, you can see why I don't believe boredom should exist.      Are we partly responsible for creating an environment where people think that every waking moment must be filled with a challenging, exciting, mind-boggling adventure? I think one of the most important things we can do for our children is encourage their imaginations and give them plenty of free time to nurture creativity. In my opinion (and remember, it's my blog LOL) I think children today tend to be overstimulated with too many activities. As a result they don't have time for unstructured play. Play is actually a child's work. It's how they learn. And it also fuels their imaginations. Busyness does not necessarily equal productivity. 

    When my children were pre-schoolers I encouraged a short nap every day. They didn't always see eye to eye with me but I still sent them to their rooms with picture books and a few small toys. They didn't have to sleep but they did have to stay there for 20 or 30 minutes and have quiet time. They could look at books or play with the toys or just lay there and think about the next adventure they were going to have outside. I believe it is vitally important for a child to learn to entertain themselves and to learn that quiet time is good time. Our ears should not have to be buzzing from televisions, radios and telephones 24 hours a day.
    I said all that to say, maybe this is why some people have to have something to do every waking moment or they become bored. Maybe they've never been taught to be content within the moment. Maybe they've never stopped to smell the roses. Perhaps they've never learned to appreciate the sanctity of peace and quiet.

    As for me, there's a whole lot to do today but I think I'm going to take a few minutes to sit on the porch later with a cup of coffee. Rocking chairs are good for the soul. I'll sit quietly and look at the world around me for a few uneventful minutes. And I won't be bored while I'm doing it.