Chai Tea and Laundry

I'm closing in on 27 and starting to feel cool like a grown up. This morning I started cleaning the house at 7:45, which is easy to do when you finish Friday morning prayer at 7. You can get a lot done in the morning before the world really wakes up. I am one of those people who enjoys cleaning. Some say I get it from my Grandmother. And while it is true that she loves to clean more than most, I am not entirely sure it is genetic. In any case, cleaning makes me happy and having things clean makes me even more happy, so it is a win from every angle. Once the laundry was spinning away and everything else smelling fresh, I made tea (feeling hipster) and started browsing through old Tweets on my profile. As it turns out, I struggle to produce more than twenty tweets a year lately. One tweet led me to this blog, which I had half forgotten about in the business of this fast-paced life we find ourselves in. My dismay at being unable to come up with 160 characters a week for a twitter feed was accentuated by the realization I really haven't written at all in the past year or two. Granted, my current job involves writing for six or more hours a day, but there are only so many creative ways to describe a gold ring (although I do enjoy it very much). Exploring this old blog and all its six posts inspired me to pull out a dusty laptop that had long been forgotten in the new wave of tablets and touch screens. The boot up process took a while. Then came the updates and Avast ads telling me I have to be safe from the viruses running rampant on the internet. Those of you who know me know that my patience with technology is very short, so my sudden inspiration was quickly diminishing as the loading cursor spun in slow circles on the screen. Finally, after much staring and bored agitation, there it was -- the "new post" page. Rejoice, o my soul, I didn't think this computer would make it. Which brings me here, to you. Slow computers are a reminder that life should be savored. Tablets, smart phones, instant and non-stop input and information at our fingertips; everything is quick like a bunny and gone before you can blink. We never have to stop, never have to be bored, because even in the down time there is Instagram, Facebook, Pintrest -- anything we need to fill the time (yes, I know, even blogging). My dad has always said, "being bored makes you live longer," and I think that is probably true. I am closing in on 27 and am constantly aware of the fact that if I don't take time to enjoy where I am, it will make for a sad time later in life. Being a grown up is strange because there are so many things going on all the time. Family, church, work, errands, meetings, cleaning, house, car, rent -- always stuff to do and take care of. The list goes on and it is a wonderful list. There are so many amazing adventures in this world, and I am ready to take them. But, in the midst of that, to take time to sit and stare out the window while your computer tries to load and just be. I need to be better about being bored. Summer is a good time to practice, because everyone is more relaxed and the heat makes everything seem slower. So there you have it. My summer goal in my 27th year is to better at being bored. Join me, if you will. Some say it makes you live longer. 

-r