On Boredom

I have always been bored easily and quickly. Therefore, I have taken some precautions against it. I read a lot of books, magazines, blogs, papers…basically, I read everything I can get hold of. I have chosen a job where each day is a surprise and I learn something new every day. I try to surround myself with intelligent and interesting people. I love travelling, so I try to see as much of the world as I can. But currently, I’m bored out of my mind. Why is that? Let’s check with the above -

- I still read a lot. Recently, when I was on holidays (that’s got the travelling bit covered as well), I read five or six books. I still have some books left unread, which are beside my bed. Right now, I’m reading the poetry of Edna St. Vincent Millay. So that can’t be it.

- Most of the intelligent and interesting people are a 100 kilometers and more away from me. I’d like to have them closer to me, sure, but it can’t be helped. Does that count as ‘surround’? Given that fact that this has always been like this – yes, it does.

- Leaves the job. I am ‘responsible’ for several campaigns. That much I know. I have heard a number of times ‘wow, if you do all this, you have a lot on your plate!’ Maybe – if I only knew what. I was hardly introduced into my work, I’m left on my own to find my way through the programmes, because there’s no one else. So – and this is very untypical for me – I’m getting petulant. If nobody cares, why should I!?


Ok, let’s look at it the other way: what interesting things have I done recently?

-I was on holiday in the Seychelles (reminds me – I still owe you Holiday Rituals – The Sequel). We did a lot of travelling around and saw a lot. Definitely unboring.

- Proofreading a presentation and press release for my boss. That’s actually the most interesting work I have done in weeks. Isn’t that pathetic.

- Reading Edna St Vincent Millay

- Reading Douglas Preston/Lincoln Child

- Working on the holiday pics (they’ll be up on flickr soon)

- Figuring out my new mobile (still a telecoms person at heart – have I mentioned that I’m still BlackBerry-less?), and using it to communicate with my intelligent and interesting friends.


Writing this, the reason for my boredom becomes pretty obvious. Only it isn’t boredom, it’s a very unpleasant feeling of uselessness, and I have to do something against it. This was more of a self-diagnostic post, but I had to get that out of my system - thanks for reading anyway.