Bored? Not Me
BY JO ANN WAGNER
“I’m bored. What can I do?” I found myself asking my mother this question in the heat of the summer until I learned not to. Without school, I had a lot of time on my hands.
When I asked, my mother found extra chores for me to do. That wasn’t what I wanted. I wanted to find something fun to do. Hoeing the garden, dusting the house, practicing my accordion, cleaning my room – those things didn’t count. It didn’t take me too long to figure out that my mother didn’t feel obligated to entertain me. Nor was getting in trouble an option.
One day a week a retired man who lived out in the country brought bats, balls, and a couple gloves into town to the new ball diamond. Kids came in from the country when they could. We chose teams and played. That was the only organized activity around.
My mother took me to the library in Norfolk quite frequently, so I had access to the books I loved to read. There was a school across the street with a swing set where I spent many hours swinging until my hands were callused. On the positive side, I learned that being bored has some benefits.
I spent time looking at clouds in the sky, watching as one shape changed into another. My mind was free to wander where it might. It was calm and relaxing. Sometimes I climbed a crabapple tree, feeling the freedom of being out of sight.
I dreamed of being the first woman president. I thought of my heroine, Nancy Drew, and how she could solve mysteries as a teen. I believed that I, too, had limitless possibilities.
I searched among the clover in our yard for fourleafed clovers. When I got frustrated if I couldn’t find any, I’d tear one leaf on a three-leafed clover in half, and voila! I had a four-leafed clover.
I learned to entertain myself, largely as a result of being bored. Electronics have taken boredom away from the younger generations. What a loss!
Jo Ann Wagner is a contributing writer for Lincoln 55+ magazine.