I have never texted, and don’t know how. It’s tempting to learn…how hard can it be to spell words incorrectly? I worry though. I have always been a good speller. What if I unlearn my spelling skills, and forget how to spell even the simplest word?
Texting may be considered a new language in the future, or at least a regional dialect. Now it’s probably considered slang. I’m not a linguist, so what do I know? I only hope there aren’t any misspelled words in this post!
When you are stuck behind a slow-moving vehicle on a winding mountain road, it’s tough to be patient. You realize that the driver is probably waiting for a safe place to pull over, one that is paved, and both wide and long enough to accommodate the driver’s vehicle. You appreciate the fact that the driver ahead of you is driving safe. But you also don’t want to be in second place.
You just want to be on your way, unimpeded. You try to back off and not tailgate, but this is difficult to do. You resist the urge to curse under your breath, because the person or vehicle-take your pick-can’t hear you anyway. So, you turn up the radio or CD player, and try to forget.
You think about a road trip you took many years ago, when the weather was great and the traffic was light. You listen to a band you heard in concert before they were famous. Then you get really impatient.
The car you are driving creeps closer and closer to the rear bumper of the vehicle it is following. You sway across the double yellow line and glare into the driver’s rear view mirror. Finally, you flash your lights.
Now you have passed several perfectly good turnouts, so you know you will be stuck behind this bozo until there is a passing lane. Why you? You try to be courteous to other drivers. But it’s your turn to get stuck, and you just have to accept your fate. Back to the tunes…
Whether or not you live with a cat, you’ve probably witnessed a cat stretch at one time or another. They are so memorable that I can recall details after many years of catless living (I don’t count the strays that inhabit our yard). One of my favorites is the back arch. It’s a classic. And who can resist the front leg stretch? The expression on a cat’s face when it stretches is amazing. It’s concentrated relaxation. Just watching feels exquisite.
So let’s treat ourselves to a cat stretch, shall we? Don’t be timid about this. If you’re going to stretch, go all out. Ease into it though; you don’t want to hurt yourself! First, step outside and look up. Next, reach for the heavens, or stars, or clouds. Feel the extreme distance as you stretch out those tired, sore, stiff muscles and things. Wiggle your fingers. Now, bend all the way down, down, down and touch those tootsies. Reach for the ground, baby! Oh my, how those legs needed that, after a long drive home or time sitting in front of a computer.
Don’t be afraid to stretch in public. You may want to try an extreme stretch at work, during your morning break or even in the middle of a meeting. Fear not the disapproval of others. They undoubtedly want to join you, but may not be ready. Set a bold example, and they will follow. But be advised: it’s best to avoid crowded elevators and sidewalks when engaged in this exercise, as someone may be injured. Choose your space and time wisely for maximum enjoyment. Now, repeat as necessary for an out-of-body experience. No charge.
It’s cold, you’re tired, and you have to get up. How shocking it is that some people rise in the dark on a daily basis, and others sleep well into daylight while so much is going on around them. Amazing that such disparate people share the same planet. I guess that’s why time zones exist. But is it possible for time zones to exist in the same household? Hmm.
The day shift starts at 6am. Breakfast is over and daily activities are proceeding to their climax while the night shift snores undisturbed in the back of the house. By midday, it’s time for lunch, and the bleary-eyed snoozers may be ready for a cup of coffee-or not. The bustling activity of the afternoon may be too much for them, and they may retreat. By early evening the night shift has kicked it into gear, as the day shift, fatigued at last, winds down into a comfy sofa with a cup of hot tea.
The evening meal is shared by the two camps in an unprecedented display of unity. The day shift nods off as the night shift heads out on the town. Later, long after the day shift has retired and is buried in slumber, the night shift returns to prepare the final meal of the day at 2 am. As the light winks off in the back of the house, an alarm rings to start the cycle again. And so it goes.
If you have a little time on your hands, or even if you don’t, take a couple of moments out of your busy day to give someone a compliment. Not only will it give the person warm fuzzy feelings on what may very well be a less than perfect day, it will probably lift your spirits as well. The sooner you try this, the better!
Everyone knows someone who is a chronic compliment-giver. Some of these seemingly cheerful individuals may have good intentions, and some may not. Delivery is essential to the well-given compliment. Shouting something nice to another person across a crowded room, or delivering a comment about another person’s appearance in front of others who are not receiving any notice, may embarrass the receiver, irritate others, and express more about the complimenter’s need to get attention than the complimented’s sterling qualities. Avoid these situations whenever possible. When you are trapped, smile modestly and disappear quickly.
Some complimenters want desperately to be loved and accepted. They give compliments like unwanted gifts, forcing them on anyone they are trying to attract. This may be appreciated by egomaniacs, but most people are uncomfortable with constant displays of adoration, and may smile modestly and disappear quickly.
Another important characteristic of successful compliments is sincerity. When someone is having a bad hair day and you want to make him or her feel better, don’t mention hair. Your friend or acquaintance is hoping no one will notice, and you just drew everyone’s attention to it. However, the compliment must be tied to reality in order to be appropriate and welcome. “You are the most beautiful person I have ever seen” may be a lovely pick-up line, but try to be realistic and genuine while saying something pleasing.
There are a few rare individuals who will always attract others with seemingly little effort. They genuinely want to know what’s on your mind, say nice things that make you smile, and are pleased with everyone around them. They never have an unkind word on their lips. Just be glad to call anyone like this a friend.
It’s kind of silly when you rise early to take a walk before breakfast, and then get in the car later to drive to the market. What’s the point of exercise if it isn’t useful? When you look out the window on your day off and it’s not raining, get bundled up quickly and be on your way. Don’t be discouraged if it starts to pour before you leave the house. It will probably stop. If it doesn’t, put on a wool cap and a raincoat for the trek to the store.
You may only need one or two items when you shop, but take your time and be certain that you haven’t forgotten anything. You probably won’t want to run out into the rain again too soon. Try to visualize yourself carrying groceries home, and decide how much you can comfortably handle. Stop picking out groceries when you reach your limit, even though you are enjoying yourself immensely and could go on like this for another hour at least, unless it’s something very small and has sugar in it. Especially chocolate. You can always put that in your pocket, after paying for it, of course!
Remember when you were a child and your parents warned you not to take too much food on your plate, because you probably wouldn’t be able to eat it all, and food shouldn’t be wasted. If you get greedy and have too much to carry, you might drop something in the mud and then you will feel guilty and try to save it and people will watch you digging in the mud as they walk or drive by and shake their heads. Avoid any situation involving foraging by the side of a busy thoroughfare.
You will arrive home with sore arms, and red marks across your hands where the plastic bags cut into your fingers, unless you brought your own shopping bags made of something re-useable and earth-friendly. Whether or not you are a green person, pat yourself on the back with either of your hands. You feel great! Now put the food away.
Sometimes I’m bored when I have a long list of things to do. The problem is my list has nothing fun on it…Humans tend to avoid uninteresting tasks. So it’s important to include some fun stuff on your To Do list. Sprinkle the fun stuff around, so that you don’t give up after the first few items on your list!
I teach math to middle school students who like to doodle. Some of these doodles are very elaborate and quite good. In order to encourage creativity and math achievement, I recently told a student to do several problems before he made another doodle. This seemed to encourage him.
I grew up in a family with picky eaters. Green peas were a staple but not a favorite among my siblings. I remember my grandmother encouraging one of my brothers by dividing a portion of peas in half and saying, “Eat this much.” Unpleasant tasks may appear easier when they are reduced in size.
There is a lesson here. Boredom is like a pile of green peas left on your otherwise empty plate. If you eat all the good stuff first, there is nothing left to mix with the part you don’t like, and you are left with just the peas. May the new year be full of variety, so you don’t get stuck with a plate full of peas!
When it’s time to take a break from the drama of the holiday season and the rain/hail/snow has finally paused, you may decide to prune the tree in your front yard. This is not advised immediately following an ice storm, or on a windy day, and should be avoided. In any event, proceed with caution.
Your neighbor will notice that you have emerged from the warmth and comfort of your home, and will quickly pounce on you. You will welcome him into your branch-strewn yard and then proceed to rant at him about whatever has been bottled up within that you were pretending wasn’t on your mind. He will smile and nod his head sympathetically. Then it’s his turn.
As you listen to his story, you realize that things could be much worse in your life. Your perspective changes as the naked branches fall from the moss-covered tree, and a ray of sunlight bursts through the remaining crown. A scrub jay appears from under a nearby holly bush, clutching a still-writhing rat, and flies across the yard to enjoy its meal in peace. Your neighbor goes back across the street to chase an escaped pet, and you collect the branches you have dropped in a ring around the tree.
When you are feeling the urge to be creative and you don’t want to spend all day on a project, try reclaiming something previously made. Pull out the gingerbread cookie dough that you didn’t quite finish baking because you were interrupted by the other goings-on of the holidays. Instead of gingerbread men, make gingerbread teddy bears. Caution: Don’t eat them all, even though they are warm and yummy. This is a good activity to share, as two or more cooks may prevent over-consumption.
Another idea is to take the hand-knit, felted scarf that was too short and turn it into a cover for your daughter’s new digital reader. Line it with the polyester fleece that was left over from the robe you made her 15 years ago because you like to save fabric remnants for a really long time. If you are lucky, the fleece will match the yarn. If not, who cares, the lining won’t show anyway. Fasten the cover with stick-on loop and hook fasteners.
If you are still bored after all this, you are really a hard case. Start knitting a new scarf with the leftover yarn from all the other scarves you have been making. While you knit, you can watch TV or engage in a lively debate about scary political figures, and eat the rest of those ginger bears!
Strange things can happen when you least expect them. What may start out as a typical, boring walk can quickly turn treacherous. On the last leg of an uneventful stroll, my partner and I were facing sporadic traffic and trudging up hill. Along came a large tractor-trailer, and it swerved across the dividing line on the country lane, apparently to give us extra room.
The trailer looked as if it might swing back toward us, and my husband noticed that the driver had only one hand on the steering wheel. As I considered where to run he grabbed me and pulled me down into the grass below the pavement.
I landed on top of him and rolled onto my knees, which got pretty wet. The truck passed us and continued down the road. We jumped up out of the wet grass as a bicyclist sped by on the opposite side of the road, calling out in a cheerful voice, “Nice day to be outside!”
Not only was I relieved to find that my jeans were free of dog poop, but wow, my hubby protected me from harm! Even when you know they love you, a chivalrous display can be quite nice. Unless they drag you into doggy doo. That would be tough to appreciate!
When You're Bored 