Bored in the USA

I've been told my blog makes it seem like I live in the past with no focus on the future but that's not true. I remember the past, I live in the now, and I wonder what the future brings. I can't picture the future because it hasn't happened yet and who knows what tomorrow will hold. I talk about the past but only because I think it's important to learn from it. This post is about the here and now. It's about the words "I'm bored"

So let's start in the past, because I can. When I was a child saying "I'm bored" earned me chores. I learned fast not to say it, act it, or look it. Bored wasn't going to get me far and I'd get so busy looking not bored that I'd forget I was bored. I think it might have been easier to be bored in the 60s. No tv, no Blue Ray, no DVDs, no cable. No on-demand, texting, or sexting, Not much was "insta", not much was out there. We picked up a book or some crayons.We played baseball and tag not video games and CDs. Bored wasn't a word we used often. "I" stood for "me" not ipod or ipad or IMAX.

Fast-forward to now. I was talking with a friend and his son was in the background complaining about being "bored". In a plugged in world how can anyone be bored? And when did it become an excuse for bad actions, cruelty, and crime? "It's not his fault, he was bored". "We keep them busy so they don't get bored". "He was bored so we bought him a,b, or c."  Anti-boredom is a style of parenting. As if "bored" is a bad word or an abusive action. No one has had their kids taken because they allowed them to be bored.No one has faced charges for not overloading their daughter's head with devices and instant amusement.
Remember day dreaming? Sure boredom can lead to mischief but it can also lead to imagination and invention. It can lead to day dreaming and creating. It can lead to opening the door and going outside. It can actually lead to human interaction and face to face discussion. The horror.
So to my accusers, yup I am old school, mostly due to my middleaged-ness. I remember back when and I look at it fondly. Because back when we played with people not things. When a discussion was in a room not on a screen. I challenge you parents of today. Let your children be bored. Let them day dream and create. Let them spend time with people. Take a week and be old school. Can you do it? can you let your children be bored? Learn from my past to make your today better and your future relationships be with people. Be bored, savor it, enjoy it, teach your children to be bored once in a while you may find some of your best memories come from being bored.