My husband sent me a great article by Paul Jarvis two weekends ago about how this pandemic has divided us between the INs and the OUTs. It’s an excellent read, and after googling and searching through his site, I have absolutely no idea how to find it or send it to you. You’ll just have to take my word for it.
Long story short, my perception of his article is that our world is divided now between the OUTs (the people on the frontline: healthcare, grocery store clerks, delivery drivers) and the INs (those of us lucky enough to be able to work from home or simply leave this hectic world for a bit).
I’m an IN.
It’s had me thinking about all of us INs. All of us who are pausing.
Maybe we’re allowing a little boredom into our lives. Do you remember that – boredom?
I bet my fellow Gen-Xers do. Remember when there was no internet and not much (or not at all) television? When we listened to whatever happened to be playing on the radio? And when we got bored from hearing the same 25 songs over and over, we daydreamed or went to play outside, to dig in the dirt, to get lost in our thoughts?
Do you remember that?
How much of that has come back into your life these past few weeks? How much do you allow yourself to just be bored?
Boredom, and stillness: they lead to creativity. When I “meditate” or simply just sit in silence, good things come out of it. When I am bored, I end up being more creative, more aware of my life path, what yogis call our dharma.
I think it happens to you, too. These three words: boredom, stillness, meditation – they all essentially produce the same thing. And I think all of us INs are getting more and more of that these days. More time to capture our own true essences and more time to connect back within.
Maybe we all needed that. I certainly hope so. If any good can come out of this mass pandemic, maybe it’s that it has allowed some of us the time to reflect on our lives: what is working, what is not, what do we need to change, where do we need to dig a little deeper, where do we need to back off?
If our world ever ramps back up, if we keep this close, maybe it’ll get close to the OUTs, too. Maybe all of us collectively will be able to pause and reflect and really notice: What is it that matters? What is it that we are truly called to do? What is it that makes our heart flutter and our bellies ache?
Maybe our stillness will allow us to permanently remember to lean in. To shut out what society wants us to believe and to tune in to that which comes up from boredom.
Maybe after all is said and done, we’ll keep these moments as part of our daily lives.
I certainly hope so.
Love, Jen.