Luxury Creates Weakness and Boredom

One of our Founding Fathers, (and I can't remember whom at the moment) was once quoted as saying that he feared the American capitalistic society would become so wealthy and successful that the citizens would become weak.
Weak, as in unable to do the physically taxing activities one may need in order to survive. Some things he may have thought of: haul water, walk twelve miles, chop firewood, farm...
Now if only he would see many of the average citizens of today. Obese, inactive, stuck at the mall with a soda in one hand, cell phone in the other. Whining about the thread count of their bed sheets and that there are only 99 stations on the big screen TV.... (It is interesting to note that many citizens are so fixated on the luxury of the automobile that we have allowed whole cities to be built without considering for public transportation or bike and walking paths..)
But I regress. To the fear of the citizens becoming too weak to care for themselves, I wanted to add my own observation--they become unable to amuse themselves as well!!
The luxury of having a brand new house, new car, clothes galore, heat on demand, dishwashers and clothes dryers, riding mowers and a leaf blower, leaves many U.S. citizens scratching their inactive little heads wondering what to do with all this free time. (of course they don't admit it, and claim they are busy, busy--but the truth is TV viewing time is up, up, up..)
I have known those that admit they are "bored" all weekend. And I do all I can to refrain from strangling them. Let them lament about all the movie rentals, channel surfing and senseless cell phone calls they make all day. Or look at the teens and tweens and inbetweens. Roaming the materialistic malls, with a phone in one ear, ipod in the other...miserable in their own boredom.

Too bad nobody recognizes this. That if they just replaced the leaf blower with a rake, parked the car and walked, tried to sew their own dress, or grow a vegetable-instantly the boredom and even some of weakness would disappear!

The Chronically Bored

I don't know how many other people think it is a problem, but I think it's about time we tackle the issue of the chronically bored. It is one of the most common complaints I have heard all over the United States- "I'm bored!"

Of course it makes good economic sense to keep kids bored, because the more free time on their hands, then the more toys they need. Not to mention sports uniforms, equipment, clubhouses, and youth centers. Luckily, video games have shortened their attention spans so much that free activities like exploring the woods, or camping have become boringly obsolete.

Yikes- then you grow into a teenager and instead of worrying about helping with the farm or working for a living (like in the days of yore) there is now plenty of time to pursuit more important stuff. Oh you know, like hounding your classmates for wearing crappy clothes, displaying your breasts on the Internet, or figuring out how to attach more cell phones to your ears. That still leaves plenty of time for cyberbullying!

Boredom spreads like a plague and I am noticing that as our lives become easier & more "convenient" adults are increasingly joining in on the childish "I'm bored" chant as well. Often though it is only a muffled whimper, easily hushed by transferring their boredom into obsessive TV & DVD watching.

So what gives?? Is it that we have lost the appreciation to enjoy the little things in life?? Should everyone be growing their own food, building their own house ?? Does convenience breed laziness??? Do we need to struggle more??

A very sad article I read a few years ago spoke about the troubles in a Native village up here in Alaska. The teens were struggling with a high suicide rate. The article mentioned how some sort of substandard club house was built for the teens and on the wall the graffiti said: "I'm so bored I want to die". Boredom was actually identified as a cause of depression. Of course the Native issue is very complex. Yet it can be inferred, that by the "white folks" taking away the meaning behind their traditional lifestyles, they are struggling with ways to fill the void.

I just don't think more video games, shopping malls, extreme sports, or TV channels are going to eliminate boredom. The free market solution to boredom creates more boredom...........