You Better Run

Death. It's that thing that follows us our entire lives. Sometimes it catches up with us before we even learn to walk. Sometimes it catches us when we become too ill to outrun it. Sometimes out of nowhere it slams into us like a Chevy into a raccoon when it picked the wrong time to cross the street. Sometimes we manage to stay ahead of it for more years than we could have hoped and we welcome it on our death bed in old age surrounded by our loved ones. No matter how or when it catches up with us, it is always there behind us inevitably waiting to take us from this life. But this isn't about that.

This is about another element of mortal existence that is constantly on our tail. This other thing is much faster but not nearly as lethal. When it catches us as it constantly does, however, we eventually find a way to get ahead of it again. But just like death, it's always there and can only be avoided for so long.

Boredom. I feel like it's the scariest thing besides death. Once it catches up with you it makes you think too much. When it gets a strong hold on you it makes you do things you wouldn't normally do to become free of it. Sometimes it's all you've got if you didn't see it coming. Sometimes your current responsibility isn't enough to keep you beyond it. So.. Sometimes it makes you write a blog post all about it.

I'm still trying to figure out how to stay ahead of it. When it comes to outrunning boredom, I often feel like a white girl in a slasher flick. I try to keep a book handy. I fill my home with sources of entertainment from games to the internet. I try to keep my eyes on the prize; try to stay motivated in my responsibilities. I often try with great futility. So given the constructive and semi-sweet constructive ways to stay ahead of boredom, it's always easier to choose the latter (that's the second one, right?).

I deactivated my facebook account today. I used to do this from time to time when I felt I wasn't getting what I wanted from facebook. I could go into that, but I'd say it's a blog post for another day (insert eventual link here). Often when I become bored at work, I go to two web sites. The first is ConquerClub.com. This isn't an ad, so you can go there and figure out what it is if you are curious enough. The second is probably first on everyone else's list. I don't do anything when I get there. I check somewhere between zero and one new notifications with great dismay, glance over my messages, check my news feed adding clever replies where applicable, then look at recent things I've posted. It's an hourly ritual that takes it's toll on me the more habitual it becomes. So it's deactivation time.

Now begins filling that void with an unequal and opposable distraction. Probably more blogging about unfinished boredom inspired thoughts. A better use of my time, though not by much. So.. I'll see you next time I trip and fall.