In many ways, I am blessed. For instance, I never remember being bored. In all my years (83) I have never, ever been bored.
My old school, St. Aloysius School, Cork. Much enhanced and enlarged since my time.
The science lab, in my time. Unheard of in any other girls' school in that era in Cork.
I remember being close to bored with the most appalling math teacher when I was around sixteen. I got myself a small drawing pad and sketched away quietly until one day she caught me and told me I had to stand in the back of the classroom facing the wall for the rest of the term. So, in between wiggling my bum to amuse the other students, I went to the headmistress to complain about the appalling teaching methods of this particular teacher who merely read to us from math books. The headmistress, a brilliant woman, listened carefully and within a week introduced six of us math students to the math teacher at the local boys' school who agreed to teach us outside of school hours.
I had always enjoyed math and under the tutelage of this challenging teacher, the six of us shone. I will never forget her vision for us ("the best," she called us) in an era when girls were educated to be good little housewives and mothers. We all went on to establish professional careers and toasted her memory at our 50th class reunion in 2011.
Maybe I have a rich interior life, but I truly enjoy my own company. I hear so many boredom complaints where I live now and I've observed some, when I pass in daylight hours, sitting staring at the TV screens in the stillness of their apartments.
I knit, I write, I read, I engage online, I limit my activism now, not by choice but by my bodily limits. I write in protest and complaint to the government on many issues. I am enraged at the treatment of seniors who are forgotten and dismissed, mainly by a government hoping they will lie down and just be quiet.
There are never enough hours in my day. I try to incorporate learning something new every day. Today it's my new Fitbit; my old one died a slow and lingering death. I loved it. This one is not user-friendly. At least elder-user friendly. Too many steps to access vital data, too many ads thrown at me about upgrading. All I need are my sleep patterns, my steps, my heart rate (iffy old heart here) and BP (likewise). Simple, right? Not to the new impressive sci-fi looking fitbit. So many steps to reach the info I need. But it's very pretty right?
Isn't odd how technology keeps improving yet the user friendliness does not, if fact often goes backwards as you describe with your Fitbit.
ReplyDeleteYou were very fortunate to have such a good school, and it clearly made a difference to your life.
Boredom? What's that? Maybe one day I will find it.
I had thought you might be the same Andrew, boredom is also an alien concept to you. I had guessed. There is just so much to do and think and imagine and create. I panic a little at times that I am running out of time to do it all.
DeleteXO
WWW
Boredom is not in my vocabulary either. There is always a list of things left undone. And if the list is done (LOL), I can always go for a walk or read a good book or listen to some great music or bake something delicious or....
ReplyDeleteOh you reminded me Mona, I listen to a lot of great music. I select from Ye Old Spotify when I knit every day. And I'm always adding new music which delights me. Even when I'm knitting a new pattern I plan my next. I love thinking of colours and designs.
DeleteXO
WWW
Popped in via Andrew's blog since this post hasn't shown up yet in my reader list, now what's this about a new pod? Have you moved to a better place? I was in highschool later than you and girls were included in science classes, but still expected to do Home Economics and learn to dry clean a tie as well as make hospital corners on sheets when making beds. How dull. I would have loved to do woodworking instead.
ReplyDeleteRiver - I was writing about my new Fitbit. I loved my old one but it gave up the battery ghost and this is the spanking new one. Which is baffling me as to its clunky navigation. So many steps to get to its basic utilities. Science replaced Home Ec as a choice in my time for which I am eternally grateful. Most girls though chose Home Ec. Lordy.
DeleteXO
WWW
You are correct to stay engaged as you can. I am sorry your math teacher chose to punish rather than teach you, and I am glad you feel blessed despite your limitations. Thanks for being a faithful blogger.
ReplyDeleteAh e, thank you so much and backatcha on faithfully blogging with your challenges. I was so glad, though, that our headmistress hired an incredible math teacher for us more gifted students. The old one was not up to the task at all.
DeleteXO
WWW
Of course you've never been bored! You aren't a boring person. Only boring people become bored. I can tell, from your writing, and your descriptions of your adventures, that you always find something to do, something to see, someone to talk to, something to think and ponder on. I would ask my students, if they complained about being bored, "Are you a boring person? Of course not! Only boring people get bored. Now, go do something!"
ReplyDeleteI love your interpretation Delaine. And neither are you, of course. You can write about the minutiae of life and never make it boring. Only boring people, you are so right. I hear from people in this building all the time announcing their boredoms and I have often thought "but you are so boring," no wonder. One really irritates me as she keeps announcing she's finding somewhere else to live as she is so bored. I have to laugh now, writing that. She is, by far, the most boring person in our building.
DeleteXO
WWW