Tuesday, 9 April 2013

Entry 18: Bored Beyond Belief


Apologies for the lateness of this week's blog. I've been trying to think of what I should be writing about. When you have nothing to tell anyone because you've not done anything, what do you then write about? Boredom. The ever ongoing lack of interest in doing anything or even having something to do. The ever ongoing ennui that comes from doing the same thing every day.

Okay, so that's what I'll write about. If you are unfortunate enough to have a personality or mind that tends towards not pushing forward, have changing/developing interests, or does not see chances or opportunities laid in front of you, if you're the sort of person who gets "stuck in a rut" easily… and let's face it the emotional, spiritual and physical strength it takes to deal with having an SCI can be so draining that the thought of putting energy towards anything more challenging than playing Angry Birds for several hours a day is just impossible. It is not surprising that boredom and depression are very closely linked and one can quickly lead to the other if not checked.

After having gotten away with it for several months now, I am now back in bed with a pressure sore on my backside. This means I cannot be in my wheelchair or in fact any chair because I must not put pressure on that area until it healed. So, what to do when in bed…

1. Stare at the ceiling
2. Scour the Internet, mostly stalking people on Facebook or going into the forums and chat rooms
3. Play games on the Internet (my sincere apologies to all my friends on Facebook who keep getting things linked to the games I play on their news wall.)

4. Consider being productive – the question is "how?"
5. Deal with paperwork… There is always more paperwork to be getting on with when you have some kind of disability. Or in fact, any kind of life! Bills, appointments, solicitors, banking, filing, benefits, application forms Re: benefits or housing or proof of disability or adaptive equipment or adaptive services…
6. Ignore Option 5 completely as it is far too boring to face, and demands far too much brain energy and facing of reality. Instead, write e-mails to friends.
7. Exercise. That's right, I said "Exercise". For those not in the know, you are at greater risk of developing DVT if you are in bed and not moving (not too dissimilar to being stuck on an aeroplane for hours and again, not moving. Oooh, just realised DVT is linked to lack of movement/circulation. It's only taken me 3 1/2 years to realise this… I am so sharp!)
8. Read a book.
9. Write a book.
10. Watch TV.

 Pretty much everything I've written on that list bores me silly. Reading a book possibly will help to take me away from this place of confinement and into another reality. As would watching TV. Neither are however, productive in the least. Good ways of passing the time though… And as Tyrion Lannister once said in a Game of Thrones – "A mind needs a book like a sword needs a whetstone." But I suppose that depends on the book…

Okay then. In my ever ongoing attempt to get feedback and comments I would ask for any help on what I could do whilst spending time stuck in bed. My challenge to you, dear readers, is to suggest far more interesting things that I could be doing – ideally things that productive! (I do not have use of my hands remember!) :-) You can always leave comments below, or if you are having difficulties with that e-mail me or contact me on twitter –@TingleTetra.

Highly Amused by the number of readers– I know you're out there, and yet still are you not brave enough to suggest anything to help break up this poor girl's boredom? Surely my list of 10 items is not all there is I could do whilst stuck in bed?
Perhaps this will amuse you – a serious case of Bed Head! I know that it certainly amused me :-)
Any 1980s soft rock metal band (circa Bon Jovi 'Slippery When Wet') would kill for this hair! I'm only three decades late…

3 comments:

  1. I have no idea what to suggest to relieve your boredom. Sorry! I wish I had. I also don't know what to say in this comment box, so this will have to do. Perhaps it will get the ball rolling!

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  2. You have a flair for writing! Lots of teachers out there need resources, plans and sow; could be a good business. Good luck x

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  3. Some of this stuff is started to freak me out it's like a episode of fringe where Walter devised a way of sucking people thoughts out their heads and reproducing it in blogs, but then again our very similar physiological issues mean that I guess we are going to be taking places unfortunately where our trains of thought and depiction of our circumstances are going to be similar.
    Although your writing is far more eloquent than mine would be but you did say that you are a teacher and always will be and in my heart of heart I will always be a house basher (Electrician) so your prose will be better i guess.
    To answer your request when the kryptonite of tetraplegic's strike, (pressure sores and bed rest) when it strikes I have in the intervening times when I am "up" built up a warchest of DVD box sets The West Wing has saved my life so many times and Family Guy but that's a acquired taste.
    I also use the boredom of bed rest to make plans, also perversely I believe it makes me appreciate when i'm up more.

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