The Daily Dishtowel - 5

George Bernard Shaw wrote "Hell is a place where you have nothing to do but amuse yourself." In Game of Thrones (yes, I hear you) the character of Stannis Baratheon says "My father used to tell me that boredom indicates a lack of inner resources."

I lean toward the latter.

I'm not sure how it happens, but since I retired I've found that I don't have enough hours in the day. While it's true my energies are generally focused on those things I choose to do, as opposed to those things I have to do to earn a living, it doesn't alter the fact that "stuff" has expanded to fill the hours.

I thought this shelter-in-place thing would quickly pall - in real life, pre-C19, I'd go out most days, if only to run errands, meet a friend for lunch, do a bit of volunteer work. When the lockdown started, I had an idea that shut in on my own, staring at the four walls, could be a recipe for misery.

Well... not so. There's the busy-work aspect. I still have meals to prepare, dishes to do, laundry, vacuuming, dusting - I do prefer a tidy nest. There's the mind-matters: the online course I'm taking runs until near the end of June, and with its peaks and troughs, it's sometimes a major time-suck. There's the household business that even pandemics don't halt - I still have to balance the accounts, plan for appointments (I missed my eye exam this year, and I really, REALLY, need new glasses with stronger lenses!), organize records.

That doesn't include the fun stuff, either - I don't watch much television, but there are some things I enjoy. (Confession: I'm in the middle of a re-watch of Lord of the Rings.) Though it's generally with a Kindle now rather than a paper book (I'm no Jean-Luc Picard, and if he had my eyesight, he'd have an e-reader too) I still want to get lost in a good story.

I volunteer - or rather, did volunteer; not sure when that'll return - at our local hospital. While we aren't on duty for now, they have asked if knitters and crocheters can do some small projects for them. Well... could be. I might have reasonable-enough eyesight for a bit of that.

I don't want to be bored, exactly, but I have to disagree with GBS. I'm perfectly content with my hobbies and amusements. ;-)

More Latin for you: tempus fugit. Carpe diem, people!