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So much to learn, so little time

    There’s a phrase that is not allowed to be used in our home. (Okay, there are quite a few of them – swearing is not allowed either). It’s one of my pet peeves – I can’t stand it when someone uses it:

    “I’m bored.”
    You must be joking! There is an entire world waiting to be discovered. You obviously have free time. Go explore! Discover! Learn something new!  
    I started thinking about all the things I’d love to be able to do in my “free” time. I thought about making a list, but it would be pretty long. Here’s a start:
    Learn to play the violin
    Learn to play the piano
    Learn to play the guitar
    Read a book (I have about 500 that I know of that I’d like to read someday)
    Sew
    Make a quilt
    Make clothes for my children
    Design a pattern
    Write a book
    Cook
    Bake
    Make a difference for someone
    Learn to draw (oh, how I wish I could draw, or paint, or sketch!)
    Take better pictures
    Sleep (seriously!)
    Learn ballroom dancing
    Start a business (or 8)
    Learn about History
    Learn about my ancestry
    Be active in politics
    Design a curriculum
    Learn about herbs and herbal healing
    Organize my house
    Sell the extra stuff
    Learn about the plants on our land
    Have tea with my children
    Learn to weave
    Learn to make soap
    Learn to make candles
    Organize my recipes
    Learn French
    Learn Latin
    Learn Greek
    Learn Hebrew
    Learn almost anything!
    My aunt (who was a teacher) used to tell her students and her children “You’re boring” whenever they would dare complain of boredom to her. I think she’s right. If someone is “bored” they either think they’ve accomplished all there is to accomplish in this life (I can’t even imagine that), or they have no ambition whatsoever to learn something new.  I think it’s the same as watching television. If you have time to sit in front of a box for hours a week (or hours a day! How can you do that?), then you must have LOTS of free time and no ambition to DO something. Don’t get me wrong, I love a great movie as much as anyone, but sitting for hours on end being entertained seems like a huge waste of time, not to mention the personality drain that occurs.
    So I’m curious, what’s on your list of things to do when you have so much free time that you might even consider saying “I’m bored”? Or is it okay to be bored?