The boredom of having it all

I want to write about something different today. Something different, and something easy.

I’ve had almost a whole week of having nothing to do at work. Having nothing to do is probably the easiest thing of all to carry out, but, we’re not meant to be in work to have nothing to do. That’s why it’s called work – we are there to do something.

What isn’t easy, is looking as though I’m doing something when I have nothing to do. Making something that takes thirty seconds to do last for two, maybe three hours. I’ve done it, so it can be done, although I had to ‘work’ very slowly indeed. I’ve also perfected my thumb twiddling technique, and I can now twiddle my thumbs forwards, backwards, in an artistic figure-of-eight movement, and in slow motion. The slow motion movement took me a little time to perfect… and I’m a perfectionist… some of the time!

So, although I had nothing allocated to work on, I did find a few things that I could pass the time with; I made sure that no stone was left un-turned, so I was actually working at something. And it looks as though I’ll probably have to find something to do tomorrow as well, but tomorrow is another day. You never know, I could be writing tomorrow about my fabulous lottery win… or my fabulous dream of my lottery win… we’ll have to wait an see what happens there.

…Winning big on the lottery, or the football pools, or the premium bonds – or even being handed a huge cheque by a passing stranger in the street (a huge “hello!” and a nice friendly smile to any nice, passing stranger who happens to be walking passed me, and who would like to hand me a huge cheque…) would allow for plenty of time to have nothing to do, so with the practice that I’ve had this week I’m well on my way to the second part of this little dream scenario.

But, if this phenomenal amount of money landed in my lap, allowing me to say good-bye to work once and for all, I’d probably get bored quite quickly:

• I mean, there are only so may Caribbean Islands that can be visited on my luxury cruise liner
• I’d soon start to feel weary of driving around in a brand new car every week
• What do I need to buy fantastic looking clothes for when my current clothes are more than comfortable?
• I’d miss my regular supermarkets as I’d be shopping in more expensive places
• I mean my staff would be shopping in more expensive places
• I’d have to buy a couple of pets so they can travel around with me – or my staff
• I’d start to feel tired of constantly decorating Aquatom Mansion
• Dare I say it, but I may not be able to read after reading all of the books I wanted to, although I could pay my favourite writers to create something just for me
• Champagne would lose it’s appeal after a couple of months
• I wouldn’t need to look into the history records to find information about 1642, as my historians would have found all the facts for me
• I’d soon lose the enjoyment of having a lie in every morning, but wouldn’t need to get up. I could get my staff to have lies in too, but then we’d all become fed up of it

If I had everything that I ever wanted, and there was nothing left for me to want, I’d be bored. I could re-look at the things I have, but feel empty. There would be nowhere further to go. Nothing further to dream about, or to aim for. To save for. To look forward to. I’d have to be handed a heck of a lot of money to get to that stage, but I doubt that I actually would reach that stage. There is always someone else who could do with a little more money too. And I suppose I could help them, given half a chance.

Until my passing stranger hands over these uncountable millions to me, I’m stuck with having to go to work to do nothing. Well, for this week at least. Next week, I may be busy again – and wishing that I had more time to get things done.

At the end of the day, having it all or having nothing, I still have to pass the time with something. I can moan about what I have or haven’t got, or concentrate on my now and enjoy the moment. At least I can daydream about could bes and what ifs. When I have the time, that is!