Thought For The Day #11

Broadcast 4th of November 2013 on BBC Radio Bristol

Maybe it’s just me but I find boredom very difficult to cope with. Usually it’s things like jealousy, fear and anger that have the notorious reputation for being difficult emotional visitors. But for me boredom can be just as challenging a guest to be around.

The first thing I do is reach for my emails. Something that’s easy to do seeing as I’m never without my smartphone. And if I don’t have any new mail I move on to Twitter and then pictures of kittens cuddling. The trouble is that this tactic is never satisfying. It’s like taking another chew on week-old chewing gum, there’s just no flavour in it.

I want excitement! I want someone to burst through the door shouting that the aliens have landed! I want drama. I want something new. I want to feel alive. But instead I’m just bored.

I think what challenges me so much about this state is that I’m being asked to exist without an agenda. I have nothing to do and nowhere to go. It’s the state that I worship on holiday but it’s right here in the middle of my actual life. Boredom makes me realise that I’m chronically addicted to my future life where the grass is always greener. It embarasses me into realising that so many of my life plans are no more than fuel for my addiction.

So here’s the thing: what if one day I actually got what I was hoping for, but was so busy looking for the greener grass that I didn’t notice.