The view is wonderful from this window….one can only see the tops of trees swaying (not so gently, in “more than gentle” Melbourne winds!). I am supposed to be working, but it’s almost hypnotic watching those trees sway, and I am captivated for a good several minutes before I snap back into reality. It is as if the time had stood still…the unhurried swaying of the tree tops, the wind…and the silence of this place. Like being transported into one of Enid Blyton’s stories (where those pesky kids do nothing but nothing the whole day!!), or better still, into one of Ruskin Bond’s timeless tales. I could really sit here the whole day.
And as I ponder over it…I realize that this past quarter of an hour is the best “nothing” I have done in a long, long time. You see, in my time…doing nothing is rarely just that. For most, including yours truly, “doing nothing” equates to scrolling through three social media apps….again and again…up until at least one of the following occurs: a slight headache, an overwhelming sense of missing out (or more commonly FOMO) or a mini existential crisis. One can go on like this for hours…instantly switching between a funny meme, to a cat video, back again to some weird mashup of an irritating song. Boredom and a lack of patience are the only virtues you will need to keep this up infintely. And yes…this is considered a legitimate form of entertainment. It doesn’t stop there…because there’s a little something for everyone. Feeling narcissistic? Well…just post a couple (or a lot) of your own photos…in various poses if you must, and then wait for validation from the world. Suddenly overtaken by an inexplicable urge to pretend you are a dog, a cat, or any other random animal with big cartoony eyes? Slap on some dog filters and you are good to go!!
I definitely wouldn’t say I am better than anyone else when it comes to rare bouts of narcissistic tendencies, but I draw the line at dog-ear filters!! It is exhausting (and annoying) to be constantly bombarded with the carefully crafted highlight reels of random people’s lives. What is even more annoying is the inability to turn it all off…or the rapidly depleting patience levels. I don’t remember the last time I sat through the slow pace of an old song, without the burning need to switch to the next one. I have lost the patience to sit through the boring parts of a movie, or the filler scenes of Netflix shows. It is difficult to read through a book, to have to wait for the story to slowly unfold. And I often wonder….how long would it be before I lose the patience to sit through the boring parts of life itself!
The other day it became evident how quickly I could “lose my shit”, when I angrily called a ball of sabudana wada dough “stupid” for not coming together quick enough!!! Well, the dough just sat there and said nothing (as dough is known to do!!). But I did remember the one piece of my elder sister’s advice I seem to have retained. ‘You have to be patient with food’. Yes…indeed….and while you are at it, try to be patient with yourself too. And with the people around you. And while you are still at it, spare a thought for the people who were born before the advent of instant messages. (They had to wait for their letters!!) Meanwhile, I will look forward to the day when I shall be able to spend time, patiently doing nothing!! 🙂
The Merry Dilettante 