Lusting for Boredom

Posted in Traveling Tuesdays

I am so looking forward to the 14 ½ hour flight to Australia.  Is it because of the cramped seating, the airline food, or the stale, re-circulated air?  Or perhaps it’s the four movies on a tiny screen and the free booze?   (Yes, we get free booze on the flight.)  Nope, it’s because of the boredom.

Boredom, how I miss you.

Even in retirement I have a hard time with a day that is devoted to simply eating, sleeping and reading.  Don’t get me wrong.  I love a day of just eating, sleeping and reading.  But I can’t do it.  Not even in retirement.  It’s a very hard thing to do, actually.  Life interrupts.  Guilt interrupts.  And darn it, that voice that shouts, “Go do something with your life!” interrupts.

But there’s nothing else to do on the plane.  Nothing.  It’s forced boredom, and how I relish the thought of fourteen and one half hours of forced boredom.  

I’m not sure why so many people fear boredom in retirement.  Frankly, it’s hard to find the time for it. 

Remember that summer vacation when you were a kid?  The one you so looked forward to for the last several weeks of school?  And then a few weeks into it you were following your mom around the house nagging, “Mom, what can I doooooo, there’s nothing to doooooooo?”  Oh I remember.  It was awful. 

Oh, how I miss it.

I’ve got three books I’ve been working my way through for the last six months.  I’m stalled in the middle of knitting a blanket for a friend’s baby.  I haven’t written in my journal since July 28^th.  All things I can do guilt free on a 14 ½ hour plane ride.  I can nap.  I can read travel books.  I can have idle conversation with my husband and he’ll actually listen because there’s nowhere else for him go!

As Katrina Onstad writes in her Globe and Mail piece Why We Should Rediscover the Joys of Boredom, “What is a holiday, really, but the opportunity to pay for boredom?”  

Yes, it seems like you should be able to do all these things in retirement, but trust me, it’s a whole lot easier when there’s absolutely nothing else you can possibly do because you are trapped on a plane.   

I can’t wait.

Related Posts:

            Is Boredom Really a Danger in Retirement?         

            Reflections on My First Year Of Retirement (Part 3:  Boredom)

            Boredom Begets Boredom

 

This is a post from Retirement:  A Full Time Job.  Subscribe—it’s free (plus it makes me feel good!)

Comments

[deegee]

I'll take boredom over the sickening commute I had in my years of working any day! Not that I bore easily, if at all.

[Banjo Steve]

I don't see that as boredom, but as just much less frenzied living. Having the time to "just" read a book or "just" take a walk in the woods or "just" sit and look at a painting .....is most definitely NOT boring. It's mainly choosing to take the velocity of life down many notches.

For me, sustained boredom implies lack of imagination and/or poor attitude. As one of my favorite (anonymous?) quotes goes, " The world is extremely interesting to a joyful soul."

[Bob Lowry]

A 6 hour flight to Hawaii in 2 weeks is long enough for me. 14 hours? Shoot me, first.

Your point is well taken. The last few days since the magazine article came out have been insane. The blog traffic has increased 600% and the comments and e-mails a like amount. I didn't plan it is this way, but 17 days on a beach or deciding how late to sleep sounds heavenly.

I need enforced boredom...now!

[Jacq]

I wish that "go do something with your life" voice of mine would shut up sometimes. But maybe not.

Have fun (and plenty of boredom) on your trip!

[Bill Birnbaum]

Hi, Syd... It's interesting... when we get busy we long for boredom; when we're bored, we long for something to do. Right now, I'm also busy. Can't wait for a bit of boredom. Regarding those long flights, during my working career, I looked forward to those flights because I was a captive audience for whatever I packed with me. I could read, write, work, whatever I chose. Bill

[fred doe]

boredom is like holding your breath. you can only do it for so long then you start breathing again or in the case of boredom you fine something to do. you can't help it. i like deegee's comment about work commute but has he taken that commute after retirement? i've driven mine and it isn't bad at all:)

[Retired Syd]

Fred: Great analogy. I'm going to have to steal that some time.

[deegee]

Fred Doe, the commute on the trains took about 75 minutes one way and cost me $20 so I have no interest in wasting that money and time to do something I abhored so much LOL!

[web design company Landon]

I'm also busy. Can't wait for a bit of boredom. Regarding those long flights, during my working career, I looked forward to those flights because I was a captive audience for whatever I packed with me.

[Art]

I like the fact that I could hop on a plane (when flying transatlantic)and watch 3 movies, read 1/4 book and not feel guilty about it!