
Okay!
With great purpose, I sat down leaning forward, my mind hopping along many different possible ideas to choose from, but apparently landing on none. It was just one of those times when I had the pen and paper in my hands, but no ink in my mind.
Deciding on one idea is never the problem…
I realized.
Deciding to write upon one is.
I sighed then.
I feel very lazy!
And to that, I vividly nodded. I did feel, in fact, incredibly lazy then. With my mind no longer focusing on what to write, rather on my mode of procrastination, I immediately started to feel the familiar feeling of being bored.
What should I do now?
I sat un-purposeful, leaning back then with nothing held in my hands, only to realize that I can hold something in my hands.
Quickly, I picked up my phone which was kept aside. Instantly unlocking it as an unthinking reflex, I began checking the latest notifications, among which one said,
… liked a message you sent
Oh, which message did they like?
I wondered.
I should check that!
And on I went, tapping on this popup and reaching the mysterious text of mine which they apparently liked.
Wait!
It all felt familiar.
I have already seen it before.
I clearly remembered.
Why did I get this notified again?
I grew peculiar.
I swiped to go back out, but suddenly, my eyes were enormously and alluringly spammed by an entire feed of colorful images. Red encircled faces, most of whom I hardly know, as if begging me to be tapped upon and seen.
What’s the harm in that?
I decided, giving away and beginning the never ending cycle of sliding stories one after another.
Soon, I found myself lying on the bed, no longer sliding, but scrolling down the infinite black hole of relatable memes. Momentarily, my eyes had went up, and I noticed the battery percentage.
30%
No matter!
I will charge in a while…
I concluded.
15%
Battery Saver mode enabled
What!?
I couldn’t believe.
When did that happen?
Clearly not realizing the passage of time, my once lazy feeling body had to get up forcefully then and put phone on charge. That is particularly when I saw the blank paper and pen laid on one side of the table which I previously sat at.
Oh, right…
I remembered, plugging in my device, and sitting down once again to offer my writing.
Out of the blue, the lights of my entire vicinity had went out completely. It became pitch black in a flash.
What the…!?
I shook my head, looking at my non-charging screen then, seeing the time it reflected.
8:03pm
Why at this hour?
I sighed, sitting in absolute darkness. I accessed the torch of my phone, trying to bring some visibility back to my spectrum. But soon, sight was no longer the problem, the temperature was.
Man, it’s hot!
My mind sparked, my head profusely sweating then.
Why in this weather!?
I felt somewhat frustrated.
Feels like I am inside an oven!
Moments later, my body decided upon a new and growing fact.
I cannot stay sitting here!
Quickly, putting off the torch, and sliding the phone into my pocket, I shot up, leaving the room entirely.
Heading up to my terrace, I ultimately reached the highest point accessible of my house in search of some, or any, airy relief. Arriving, I gazed around and up the darkened aura, only to find an incredible sight staring back at me.
Within this night sky of above, stars, some of them twinkling just bright enough, had managed to peel through the thin and hazy clouds, while the full-faced moon, the lone king of this reign, shone incredible bright across this entire dark spectrum.
Wow!
My breath escaped.
I have to take a photo of this!
I naturally thought, bringing out my phone, turning on the camera, pointing it straight upwards, and beginning to tweak settings for a better picture. I clicked and saw the results once.
Not good enough…
I pointed to take another picture when suddenly, the dull screen of before prompted a new message altogether.
Battery low
Shutting down
And just like that, my phone was dead. I sighed once again, shaking my head upon this situation. Then turning my eyes to gaze upwards at the alluring view, not through a screen, but with my eyes this time, I realized another truth.
Looks better in real life anyway!
I chuckled.
Out in this aura, a gentle breeze began to hit my cold-sweating face. Momentarily, it started to feel like heaven.
Why was I ever down in my room?
I wondered.
A considerable while had gone by. Instinctively, my hand had went straight to my pocket to see the time, but I stopped halfway realizing the vainly nature of this act. I then looked around at neighboring rooftops, many of which, unsurprisingly had screens planted right in front of their glowing faces.
Some more immeasurable moments had passed, it grew pitch silent then. I sighed, purposeless. And after enough admiration of the view and no device to record that admiration with, I started to feel the familiar feeling of being bored. As a reflex, my hand again went into my pocket, realizing once more that this won’t serve any good at the moment.
What to do now?
Then instantly, as if it was the answer to my question, a figure behind me rose into existence. And surprisingly, I knew exactly what, or rather who it was.
My Speculative Mind.
“What are we doing here?” it asked.
“Nothing, really…” I answered.
“Unacceptable. We cannot stay doing nothing. Do something at least!”
“I don’t know…” I felt unknowing. “What do you suggest?”
“Walk.”
“Already did that.”
“Then do it again. Don’t stay still.”
“Why? What is the point?”
“I cannot stay stationary! Do something!” it pushed. “Move, dance, anything!”
“There is nothing to do!”
Silence then struck for a few moments, before My Speculative Mind began of speech yet again.
“By the way…” it added. “What actually are we doing here?”
And I instantly knew that my mind was no longer concerned with my physical coordinates.
“Just trying to make a mark on the world… “ I began. “Something to live by, something to leave behind… a legacy of one kind. So that I am remembered long after I am gone,” I took a deep breath then. “Just trying for it all…”
“Trying?” it interrupted. “How exactly are we trying?”
“By doing things that matter… writing, expressing my inner thoughts, sharing my ideas to the world, doing something good, and maybe helping people in the process.”
“Okay, so… is that our sole purpose? To share, to write?”
“More or less…”
“Then why aren’t we?”
Quickly taken aback by the sheerness of this question, I felt incredibly silent, before beginning to answer soon. “I think I have become lazy.”
“No, we have become stupid!” it proclaimed. “And quite easily distracted!”
“I guess, you might be right…”
“I know that I am right!”
I felt the truth hit me.
“Now, I will ask again…” My Speculative Mind offered boldly. “If we want to write, then why are not we?”
And for a good minute or so, I could not form an answer.
Suddenly then, breaking all of the imminent and self-reflective silence, I saw lights come sparking back on across each of the visible houses. Fans started working, coolers began spinning, condenser unit of ACs started whiffing, television sets started blaring. And I realized that My Speculative Mind had disappeared quickly as it arrived. But its echoing words did not.
Striding down the stairs with purpose, I eventually reached my then-lighted room. Entering, right on the designated table, I saw the old blank paper and pen inviting me to write. Without skipping a beat, I had plugged in my phone on charge, kept it far away this time, and sat down to script the title of what I would elate.
Need of Boredom
Head to the next page from below!
Haha. Nice one, bro. Who else can relate to this more than a Bengali sitting on a couch with a cup of chai and eating Lyadh. Now I want you to do some research on the bengali term ‘Lyadh’!!
😂😂
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Thank you! 🙂 Will start some research then 😆
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Many of us fail to realise how important it is to have a conversation with ourself and it’s actually scary to know that we humans avoid being bored by distracting ourself . These two things were very well explained on how it is necessary to let us experience boredom inorder to know our true self and purpose. Your writing has so much power! ❤️
Keep up the good work and keep writing 😊
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Thank you so much! 😊
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Evolution has gifted humans with this amazing capability of having the perception of time and space.
We use stories to go in the past, we use our imagination to anticipate the future, we can refer to something in a different space altogether! (Our phones obviously work as a catalysts)
But to utilise this gift and to eventually put it in actual use, being in the present becomes so important from time to time!
And as you rightly pointed out……
Boredom gives us that window! Probably the only time when all the distracting external stimulus has no power over you! Don’t fear boredom, cherish it, take it as an opportunity to stare deep in the abyss of your speculative mind…use boredom to question, and understand how the mind makes you work, rather how can you make it work on your terms the next time! (Unless of course there’s a new notification… Liked the message you sent XD 😉
Keep coming up with new themes like these to make us think! Yo!
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Thanks man! Your comment gave some great insight on this as well! Keep em coming 🙂
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Never read such an Interesting take on Boredom. Great Job !!
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Thank you!
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Thanks
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