The Importance of Being Idle

Importance of Being Idle

OK, so I pinched this from Oasis. A not-half-bad tune either. However, whilst listening to this over the weekend I remembered reading that being idle once and a while actually IS important. In our busy lives of rushing about, endless obligations, sticking to a tireless routine, multi-tasking and juggling commitments, it occurred to me that we are rarely idle. Bored. Nothing to do, nothing to occupy our minds. So, I set aside some time to be.. idle! A couple of hours that’s all. No TV, no phone, no laptop, no interruptions. Nothing to do. Just to see what would happen. Just being.

I would like to report that I had flashes of creative inspiration. That I opened up my mind and inspiration and enlightenment flooded in. However, there were no epiphanies. I lay stretched out on my bed, examining the chips in the paint on the ceiling. Admiring my feet. Watching the minutes tick by. Watching the tree-tops sway out of the window.

But actually, what I did experience was a wandering mind. I drifted aimlessly in and out of thoughts about family, work, friends, holidays, my feet(!), food, pending social arrangements, calls I needed to make, birthdays coming up, stuff I need to buy, people I haven’t spoken to in a long time, snippets of conversations I had had during the week and, well all sorts of ‘stuff’! I experienced a de-cluttering, a ‘housekeeping’ of my mind. Thoughts surfaced, were considered, cogitated and then rightfully filed. I stretched and mused and shifted and reflected.

I didn’t experience the usual frustration of having wasted time or having been unproductive. Afterwards I felt great. Relaxed. Smug actually. I had chosen to do nothing and been good at it! They say children need boredom in order to test their imaginations and creativity and that so few of them ever get bored in this ‘age’ because as soon as the boredom even threatens to creep in they reach for some form of entertainment to take the boredom away without having to be creative in their thoughts and seek out ways to make their own entertainment. I am sure the same can be said of grownups. And I for one will certainly make time to be bored again. Thanks Liam and Noel. Not sure I relate to most of the lyrics in the song, but it got me thinking and.. great intro. Da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da. Da dah!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jySfU10IQu4