Boredom creates things.

Today I pondered a thought. Not out of boredom per say, but the pondering persisted none the less. The thought was this: someone had once told me that nothing good could ever come out of a lie. As this thought traveled through the space between my ears, working its way ever so carefully through the brain tissue that, hopefully, was cradled carefully within my skull, a segment of its inner chorus struck me as odd. How could every good thing possibly be built upon something else good? Surely it is logical to believe that somewhere in the world something good has come out of an otherwise crummy situation. The odds are too high for it not to be true. Some things have to be founded on sinful actions…else there would never be improvement anywhere. So while I thought this, I wondered of all the exceptionally marvelous happenings that could result from the properly used lie, in the right circumstance. Make note though, that I understand the honorable characteristic of honesty, and that is indeed almost always the best policy. It is virtuous to start at nothing and build a good deed off a foundation of nothing but good deeds. Good deeds are a strong structure, easy to build: it takes but one word to do someone kindness, and thus these actions are easy to build upon. A figurative castle of benevolence could be thrust out of nothingness within a matter of hours and stand for many months. This achievement is something to be admired. But is it not also admirable to watch a thing of greatness arise from the most dire exigency? To take that which is scene as evil or hellish and turn that same thing into an amplitude of compassion and strong spirit? Is it almost more admirable to watch such a feat? I could very readily agree with this. Thus in my musing it dawned that something exquisite could be formed from a lie. All of us have experienced a moment where we told a lie to hide an ugly truth. 

“Oh loving companion of which I depend on, I have to choose what to wear to this banquet of utmost importance where every fancy-schmancy person alive will be that I simply MUST make a good impression on… Tell me. Do you think this looks good on me?”

And even if you think they appear to be a lumpy pumpkin crossed with a man-bear-pig, you are almost certainly going to say “Yes!” because it would be rude of you to do otherwise. But they will be content to hear this lie, and will go to the banquet no matter what outrageous outfit you happened to compliment. Just this simple example showed that more complex concepts could be shaped easily on a lie. You can make someone fall in love with a single lie. People do it all the time. You can change an opinion with a lie. And this changed opinion could lead to change points of views. Changed life styles. Changed actions. And if someone, even just one person, especially just one person… changes their actions? Then they can undoubtedly change the world. And no one said the change had to be for the worst. 

At this my pondering came to an end…  for now. There will certainly be a lesson to be learned from this again in the future. But for now, stay open minded. Try new things. Recognize the good in your world, and all the ways you could do to improve your environment and yourself. Be honest and righteous and fight for justice. But most importantly, recognize that good can be born from the wicked and wrong. Don’t depend on this fact, but remember that it is there. So live. Live happy and thoughtfully. And if it turns out that the truth won’t cut it? Don’t be afraid to lie a little. 

I wake up in a dark, hot, claustrophobic cube of a space. Oh, it is hot. Too hot, much too hot. And humid. Quite too humid for anyone other than a fish. I push against the sides of the space, feeling my way around for a possible way out. I rub up against a barred structure of some sort and hear a strange ceramic clinking. That’s when the spinning begins. The deep churning and whirling spinning. And with it comes water. Water comes and floods around to fill any crevice that had previously held air, including my lungs. I can’t breathe anymore, the water chokes me and my vision starts fading to black. Still there is the spinning in the cramped, steamy box. But as I seep into tempting darkness one thought crosses my mind.

I don’t recall studying this in class. 

What am I, say you?

Why I’m just a student in a dishwasher. 

Oh hello there faithful and unfaithful readers alike, I didn’t see you wander in! Come to see the view? To learn something more perhaps? Oh what’s it matter, you seem like good people! Here have a seat, I have a tale to tell and you look thirsty to listen. Ah, wonderful! Much better, much better indeed. Well then, our tale begins in our very world. Oh yes, not some make-believe-fantasy-pixie-land for kindergartners, this is the real deal. In fact, if you think back, you might find that each and everyone of you is a part of this tale as well. Now in this world, that is our own, there are people, much like ourselves. These people have friends to talk to, jobs to work at, and an endless amount of interesting, although sometimes useless, amount of information to learn or activity to partake in. They have lives. And yet? Many of them simply just don’t live. How is this so you ask? Oh that’s simple. These are people are forever hounded by the villain that is Boredom. He pokes them, prods them incessantly so that they tire of their everyday happenings, and infects their brains. Soon they’re watching more television and reading less. Accepting fate instead of dreaming and working for better. They drift into the soul eating state that in itself makes up Boredom; stuck endlessly desiring to be entertained or accomplish something of importance, but still internally convinced that this will not change, that nothing will amuse you. I see… Some of you have encountered this despicable beast as well? Pity, pity that is. Ah well, we all take our turn. But just like every good story, the villain has an equally awesome opponent. Who could be the heroes against such an inanimate thing as Boredom? He’s not tangible, he’s unavoidable! He affects everyone! THAT is where you are wrong my children. Boredom can only conquer those who allow themselves to be conquered. Have you gotten it yet? The hint I just gave you? Eh? Ehhh? THAT’S RIGHT. The heroes are the people that are examples for everyone else and don’t submit to the torment of Boredom. The ones that push through their lives with ceaseless purpose, and longing for more. Not greed, mind you, but initiative. They’re the ones that don’t dillydally over trivial pursuits like just trying to find something to do, or sitting on facebook all day. Nope. These people are the ones curing cancer or endlessly searching for that one lost piece to their china plate collection. ACTUAL MOVEMENT. Yes it’s true, exercising daily can help ward off the evils of Boredom. Err, daily interesting exercise. Doing the same old thing could make it worse. Ugh, never mind that, you catch my gist. Surely knowing this makes you want to go take a stab at Boredom right? No? Seriously? You didn’t even want a story anyway? Well thanks for making me waste my precious time you scallywags. If you didn’t want to listen you could have just said so. Well move along, this isn’t a roadside carnival attraction. Git!

Today I was bored. So let me explain to you what I did to battle this evil today. 

First my sister had the brilliant idea to make brownies…. in the cupcake maker. Little did we know, this actually doesn’t work as well as it sounds like it would. So after we had put them in to bake and my sister had finished fighting me off the remains of the delectable batter (what can I say, that stuff is delicious. YUM. Raw egg my butt, I’m young and I’m gonna LIVE.) we smelled the tell-tale… burning…. smell. You know the spell I’m talking about. It wasn’t like all those childhood times you walk into a bustling grandmother’s kitchen surrounded by the decadent aroma of baked sweets and warm hugs. No. This burning smell is like the opposite of that. Somebody threw gasoline all over your cherished memories of taste filled adolescent days and your brownies too. …Yes. So we ended up having to scramble to get the charred pieces of brown cake out of the maker and onto a plate… They were still chewy in the middle…. so….. we had them with milk. And they were gooooood.

After that I had given up on baking. But my sister still continued on this hallowed quest making sugar cookies in all sorts of odd shapes. I watched with no shortage of entertainment. Now there’s a huge mess to clean up. I will certainly not be bored later when my brother is asleep and I am forced to clean it. Music makes cleaning fun. Especially with my favorite dancing partner: the broom.

Then I spent some time browsing my usual internet haunts: Facebook, DeviantArt, and Tumblr. I was inspired by some of the things I found. Inspired to do what, I don’t quite know yet. But I do love the feeling. Inspiration. It warms you from the inside out and motivates you to achieve something that has never been done before. It’s like a super concentrated dose of thought. A shot of creativity specifically designed for you. I thrive on it.

So that’s how I’m going to end my day: inspired. I’m going to find something to throw my inspiration up on too. Who knows, maybe it’ll be writing, or a painting or something no one’s ever seen before. All I know right now, right here, in this moment, is that I feel loved and cherished and hungry for creation. Today has been a good one.  And with this inspiration I can strive to make tomorrow better. 

Love, Bird