Jul 12
23
When Reality is Boring, Fantasy becomes a Nightmare: Rod Taylor
Every one of us has experienced, no doubt, at least one boring moment in our lives and, quite possibly, prolonged periods of it, particularly in our youth. For many years now, as the demands on my time have been more varied and pressing and the amount of time remaining to me on this planet has been obviously diminishing, I have claimed that I have not had to endure much of that passionless sensation.
Nevertheless, one is constantly adjured by the compassionate press to create city-spaces where young people are relieved of their boredom and have “something to do.” I admit that, even now, there are occasions—on a long drive perhaps or while waiting in line—that tempt me to wish I were somewhere else, doing something else. Indeed, on reflection, there are times when we should be somewhere else. The choices and decisions we make lead us in certain directions and along the way we will sometimes have to wait—in a traffic snarl or to give our order and our money to a snarling cashier who serves bad coffee. But to choose boredom in such situations is another bad choice that neither delivers us from evil nor transforms our culture.
Knowing that such possibilities exist, we always have other choices we can make so that our time is more productive and fulfilling. On a long drive, audio books, including the Bible and relevant informative or inspirational speeches and teachings can help us grow while we multi-task…driving and enjoying the scenery. In a line, we could always try to meet new people, share a positive view of life, pray, meditate, plan or just learn something about how people interact. We might try to figure out what changes would make the line move faster or give the customers a better experience. Today—for me and I suspect many others like me—any sense of “boredom” is not so much that we don’t know what to do or that we don’t find our surroundings interesting; it’s just that we have a whole lot of things we’d rather be doing in the few short hours of any day or the few short years we have been given in this life to try to make the world a better place.
But for many in our culture, that’s not their mindset. They believe that life is supposed to be constantly and exhaustingly entertaining, that every moment should be filled with adrenaline or testosterone, that their taste buds should not have to endure the “same old, same old,” that their sex lives should include new people or new practices, and—in short— that the everyday miracles of meeting friendly strangers or enjoying their “favourite” eggs over easy or watching the same sun rise in the same spot on the same horizon are just not worthy of their attention.
So they must have a new car. Or a new tattoo. Or a new sex partner. Or a new fast-chase movie with a newer and more disgusting display of vulgar crudity, mayhem, violence. Or a new religion that puts them in the driver’s seat for a change.
So when they have exhausted themselves in the pursuit of kinky pleasures or increasingly boring “thriller” movies, they turn to the only last place they can boringly turn: to the sudden and unexpected murder of innocent human beings, expecting some kind of satisfying experience and notoriety. Thus, the descent into madness last night in Denver, with the senseless killing of 12 or more theatre-goers and the wounding of 35 to 50 more at the premiere opening of the new Batman movie, “The Rise of the Dark Knight.” Endless fantasy, endless fiction, ever-increasing reliance on explosions and special effects…none of it can fill that gaping “hole in the soul.” Back in the Sixties, the Rolling Stones pounded out “I Can’t Get No Satisfaction” which told the backside of man’s struggle for meaning and personal fulfillment. The Scriptures said it so simply and so directly: “Be content with such things as you have.” “ Rejoice with the wife of your youth.” “Do not covet.”
I do not choose to be bored. One will never find enough “new” things for bored people to do. Our challenge as a society is to open the imaginations of young people with the wonder of creation, the miracle of life, the joy of serving and the satisfaction of helping to make the world a better place. The thrill of being in the right place at the right time, doing the will of God with a pure heart will outshine all the Batman movies ever produced. Life is exciting. “His mercies are new every morning.” Share that newness and excitement with someone you love today.