I'm rarely bored. I think it is because I find the simplest things vastly amusing, and I'm quite good at thinking up the simplest things.It is a good quality to have. Right?
For instance, I used to walk every day at lunch, three times around the same .7 mile loop, listening to the same Caribbean beat CD. Was I bored? No. I'd think up interesting ways to amuse myself, such as plotting out stories or betting that I'd reach the third tree before a car went by, or deciding I'd reach the crosswalk before the particular song on the CD ended.
I've caught myself doing that recently when I return home at night. I keep track of how far I go before I have to dim my headlights. The Pacific Northwest is not as heavily populated as some parts of the country, so sometimes I can leave my brights on for two or three miles without encountering another car. One Saturday night, around 11pm, I drove nearly six miles with my brights on; with no cars in front, behind or oncoming.
As amusing as I found this, I'm worried it is time for me to get a life.
I wonder what a psychologist would say about that? I get bored rather easily, but I do find myself amused easily as well. I've done the wonder how far I can go w/o dimming my lights, etc thing. I get bored with my stories if I outline them, but I never get tired of rereading them and editing them (although tense change may be the exception!)
ReplyDeleteWhat I'm saying is boredom is all in the perspective. Keep doing your rewrites. I can hear a few of my friends say, "You know how bored I was? I was counting the trees?" or something along those lines whereas you're showing it as amusing.
I say it's relaxation, even if you're amused and your brain is working behind the scenes to work out the problem in the chapter that's making you crazy!
Whoa, why did you have to bring up psychologists, Leona. And yet, if you have done it too, and you seem like a normal, reasonable writer, perhaps I'm okay. Proof positive, I'd say. :)
ReplyDeleteYou are the second person who has said you'd get bored with the story if you plotted it out too much. Interesting.
A creature of habit or psychotic - not sure which! Just kidding :)
ReplyDeleteAt least you know what to do with your brights when an oncoming car approaches. There are rather a lot of people around here who don't.
ReplyDeleteWendy,
ReplyDeleteI don't know which either. Must be why Leona mentioned psychologists.
CGHill,
ReplyDeleteWell, there is that. I suppose those people can drive all the way home without dimming their lights. LOL