I’m a Facebook addict. I’ll admit it. I check Facebook numerous times a day, I update my status semi-frequently, and I track the news feed. I keep up with friends, send messages, drop notes and write on people’s walls. I don’t just check Facebook on my computer, I track it on my mobile phone. It is an incredible tool. It is also narcotic.
As I’ve watched other people chronicle their mundane moment by moment existence, and as I have done the same, I’ve had a tendency to reflect back over those things I’ve chosen to alert the world to. I write about when I’m watching football, when I’m writing, when I’m working, and from time to time I make random allusions to things I like and dislike. Sometimes I write things that are totally random and ridiculous, just to see if anyone is paying attention.
One of the things I’ve seen people write from time to time (particularly teenageers) is that they are “bored.” It usually is not stated plainly. Most commonly it is a statement followed with an exclamation point, then accompanied by the appeal to “txt it.” Plagued with inactivity, trapped in the prison of their room, longing for human contact, these confessions of boredom serve to alert the world of the depth of their plight. Rather than picking up the phone, picking up a book, heading outside, taking a stroll, or divining some way of entertaining oneself, the Facebook status serves as the lament.
I’ve thought back to my teenage years. I’ve even thought beyond that to my history of employment, my social activities, and the general rhythm which my life has taken. And I’ve found that I have rarely, if ever, been bored. I’ve always had something to do. There has been work, sports, relationships, or hobbies to occupy my time and energies. And for this I am thankful.
The pace of my life might be slow, from time to time. There may be moments when I am alone. But I don’t intend to be bored.
In this world that God has created, boredom may be the most perilous of conditions.
May we be a people who possess some spirit of adventure. May we be a people that accept even normal day to day realities as a gift. And may we be a people who are never bored, for boredom may be a reflection of our inattention to the workings of God.
Dear Lord, keep me engaged and imaginative.
hi..u seemed to be an interesting person. lets be frends then!
i love reading ur post. it inspires me more.