Better to Be Busy Than Bored
Is it really better to be busy than bored? I think so...although I could do without the stress migraines (and all the other fun physical symptoms of stress).
So yeah, I've been damn busy these last few weeks--it's our super busy trade show season at work (4 airplane trips in 6 weeks, yeah baby!), the social committments just keep a'comin', the book begs to be written (and whines, and mutters sarcastic, guilt-inducing jibes, and flounces off in a huff), the kid wants to know "why? but why?", the family crises ebb and flow (and whack me across the back of the head when I least expect them). Priorities have to be constantly reshuffled and dealt back out to grumpy players (those within my own head and those who, shockingly, aren't me and so can't hear the ones inside my head). It's the art of living, the dance of being a working parent with creative pretentions.
In bad moments (especially when tired) I feel desperate, overwhelmed, bitter, envious of my non-parent (or non-working) friends, and crushingly, achingly, alone. Like a soldier or a martyr I grit my teeth and reach deep down and grab the shivering tail of my resolve and drag that hairy, whimpering beast out of the cave it's trying to hide in and back into the harsh light of day. And I'm proud of that, of the ability to Just. Keep. Going. One foot, the other. Morning routine, evening. Weekdays, weekend. Months flying by, years flying by. Circle of goddamn life as my own personal hamster wheel, full of sound and fury, hopefully at the end of it all, signifying...something.
In good moments (with enough sleep, and/or enough caffeine) I feel useful, strong, loved, appreciated, masterful, like a ballet dancer or a circus clown juggler or a professional athlete (hmm basketball I think, very dance-like in and of itself) twirling and whirling and tossing balls around with flash and glitter and feathers flying and I think "whoo, look at me go! I'm a rockstar!" And I can convince myself that I do good work at my job, and my friends still love me, and my family appreciates me, and that someday I just might get some of my artistic creations out there in the world for other people to look at and enjoy.
Glass half full, glass half full, glass half full...better to be busy than bored. I repeat it to myself like a mantra.
Ommmmmmmm....
I think you're asking the question in the wrong way - the opposite of busy really bored? Maybe the opposite of busy is relaxed.
Most people these days - myself included - wear busyness like a badge. We feel needed, loved, relevant and productive when we're busy. It lets us off the hook for things we feel guilty about not doing, "I can't possibly help register people to vote/volunteer at the Aids Walk/write a letter to my Congressperson - I'm too busy."
Cramming our lives full also can squeeze out time for uncomfortable activities like introspection, goal-seting and life-planning.
The Buddhist teacher Sylvia Boorstien wrote a book called, "Don't just do Something - Sit There." I'm no Buddhist, but I love that title and that sentiment.
I also think that the concept of sacrifice is underappreciated these days. Sometimes the best decision is to sacrifice money for family, socialzing for sleep, fun activities for relaxed afternoons and busy for bored.