Not bored but boring?

Bored. You say that like it’s a bad thing.

Are you bored yet? I’m not, but it’s worse.

I’m boring.

Sometimes it feels like my range of thoughts and emotions is increasingly smaller, less invigorating, numbing.

It’s not as though my life was filled with a cornucopia of exciting activities before the lockdown began, but that was by design. I don’t want an action-packed life. Still, the simple things I used to do with my time and micro-interactions with people kept me interested and interesting. I had lots of things to write about.

My brain can only hold so much, and my “interested and interesting” brain cells went on idle to make room for COVID-19, a bad tenant trashing the cheap real estate in my head. I want to evict him and make room for happy and creative thoughts.

Sadly, COVID-19, in some form or fashion, is most likely here for the long haul … which means I can’t completely evict him from my brain. My goal is to lock him in the basement and only let him out when I need critical information.

Perhaps we can all free up happy space in our brains as we get closer to a new normal that in some way approximates how we used to live. I feel like we’re on the cusp of getting some of it back.

Social animals may not find the new normal acceptable, but I can see how it might work for us. Dale and I don’t do large gatherings anyway. Our “normal” includes trips to the grocery store, golf, wine tasting. The occasional road trip.

Seriously, I could wear a mask and be socially distant forever if I have to. Masks are cool. Have you noticed the anti-aging effects? It’s like wrinkles be gone. You’ll look 10 years younger!

12 thoughts on “Not bored but boring?”

  1. I always remember an interview with the actor on Grays Anatomy Patrick Dempsey, who played McDreamy. He said he loved scenes in surgery when the had masks on because he never memorized his lines and the dubbed them in later. He said he just said junk and made serious eyes. What a benefit of wearing a mask.

    Although today, I wanted to show my pleasure at being let in to a plant nursery one person at a time, but I realized no one could see my smile.

    1. How great to be able to buy plants! I had to laugh about Pence not wearing a mask at the Mayo Clinic — because he wanted to look people in the eye. I saw where one of the late night comics said, guess what? It’s not a blindfold.

  2. Dear Donna, I have never been bored in my life. When I hear people say they are bored (especially teenagers!) I hear people who are wasting their lives. No matter what your circumstances you need never be bored. Being boring, on the other hand, well the one goes with the other, bored people are usually boring! But it is a subjective assessment. A person who is boring to one other, may not be to yet another. With COVID19, or whatever name you want to give it, it can dominate your life and thought processes, and that might make you boring! But it does not have to. Unless you are actually suffering from it, it creates opportunities, through enforced restrictions, to spend time on long lost interests, because you, all of a sudden, have that time. Carpe Diem.

    1. I don’t think being boring is a permanent thing for me. And maybe boring is a bit harsh. Just saying my world seems smaller. But yes, letting the virus dominate our thought processes does indeed add to the problem.

  3. When walking my dog and wearing a mask, I waved at another walker who was also wearing a mask, and I said to her “I’m smiling.” It is strange that masks mean our smiles are hidden.

    1. A smile does go a long way. Maybe we need little signs we can carry with a painted on smile?

  4. I hear you! I am not a social butterfly, but I did have a weekly routine of relaxing and fun stuff I did with friends and on my own and with my husband. Every Thursday I drove 2 miles to an art studio in a woman’s home..where 5-12 of us gather to paint, play with clay,sip coffee, have pot lucks, make dolls, sew, you name it. I miss the camaraderie and support of my women friends. My 3 best buddies all live on my block and we played canasta and Mexican train,every other week,rotating houses, and making coffee,cake, and sometimes we had a wine and cheese fest in addition to dominoes. I miss them so much!! I like to go thrift store shopping all by myself, for clothes and for craft doo dads I find.. and LIBRARY DATES with my husband were a true highlight..every other week, a stack of books. And yes, I feel I was a more interesting person when I did all these things. Getting used to this new normal now..I meet with craft friends on ZOOM.. good, but not the same. Reading on cloud library and from bookshelf at home, playing Scrabble and Cards with husband (not the same as my 3 gal pals..we love to debate politics and world culture..Ken is quieter!!) — An unusual thing: I am an astrologer/tarot card reader and most of my readings are done via facetime and messenger video— for some reason young people are still concerned about their jobs and love lives!! LOL! I have had a flurry of business online and will be busy today with preparation for a new client. These times are truly unique.. but I will be glad when these moments are in the REAR VIEW MIRROR.

    1. That sounds like a very active social life to me! I hope you get it back sooner rather than later.

  6. I’m never bored but I’m sure many think I’m boring, even before COVID-19. Oh well. But I know what you mean when it comes to writing since this is dominating our lives right now.

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