Pet Peeve Number Three

Perhaps I have not been successful, but I have tried not to be too inflexible with my views or to allow my opinions to box me and others in; however, tonight I ran headfirst into one of my primary pet peeves. Someone remarked that they were bored. Ever since I was a little girl, when I had moments of empty space where I wasn't sure of my next move, it never occurred to me that those swaths of emptiness were boredom. I have always thought of those moments as opportunities to create something, read something, write someone or just have a goofy and free experience. When someone declares that they are bored, I find it insulting that in a world that offers as many possibilities as ours does, that we can find nothing interesting to occupy our minds or bodies. Is it really boredom or is it the inability to be comfortable with time on our hands? It seems to me that moments of restlessness or not knowing what to do is where our imaginations and our motivation will help us feel a sense of purpose and relevance. Isn't it okay to do absolutely nothing and feel uncomfortable between events? But the proclamation: "I am bored" makes it seem as though something has to be happening to amuse or entertain us. I hear "I am bored" most often from the children we serve. I think that they get "bored" because their worlds move at lightening speed or at least as fast as their thumbs on their Game boys. I hope I can teach at least one child that a slow, lazy, unplanned day is a opportunity that challenges us to be creative and resourceful.