Rick suggested that I write "about boredom".

 My commitment to self is to post positive messages. If I wanted to be negative, I'd be a Republican,but, hey, as a Canadian, that choice is out. So might as well look on the bright side of life.

 Let me suggest, for your consideration, that boredom, like happiness, may be a choice. Boredom is a condition caused by lack of stimulation, or a lack of interest in activities. Wikipedia cites the first literary use as being in Charles Dickens' well titled Bleak House. Trust me, I read it so you don't have to. Gillian Anderson was  muchly photogenic in the mini series adaptation, but the book is an excellent doorstop.

 Thus, there may be an almost infinite variety of ways to combat boredom, but here are just ten that occur to me as I listen to CBC Radio 2 jazz on a friday evening:

1. Exercise. Stimulating the body stimulates the mind.
2. Read. It hardly matters what, so long as it is well written. The narrative of a thriller, the puzzle of a mystery, the intensity of a romance, the facts of a biography, the adventures of history, the challenges of economics - whatever you enjoy. Or explore a new genre. Stretch your mind.
3. Listen to music. Really listen. Appreciate how the trumpet frolics around the piano line; soar with Aretha's anthemic pipes; contemplate a poetic lyric; investigate whether hip hop is less misguided than disco. Music too often these days becomes just noise in our ears. Rescue it.
4. Talk. Talk to the children. Talk to the neighbours. Talk, really talk, to the people who pour our coffee, serve us at the deli. Talk to strangers.Marvel at their uniqueness. Debate whether this proves the existence of God. Betcha you won't be bored then.
5. Cook. Creatively, not as a chore. Try something new.
6. Bake, especially if you never baked. It worked for me.
7. Go to an outdoor sporting event. You don't even need to be a fan. Unlike the antiseptic tedium of televised sports, there's so much going on at a live game. The crowd. The vendors. The scoreboard (if there is one). Maybe the odd dog wandering into the action.
8. Sample an art gallery, a museum, a concert. Especially somewhere or something you've never tried before. Open your eyes and ears, drink it all in. Think about what you'd like to know more about, then investigate.
9. Visit Open Salon. Savour the rich broth of this soup.
10. Watch Battlestar Galactica. Friday night. 10 pm. Unlike most television, which panders to the bored with more boredom, BSG is a rare show, like Buffy before it (and a few others) which engages the viewer on many levels - allegory, narrative, character, sex appeal, dramatic tension, comic relief. each episode full of awe and shock, but leaving us wondering "how can they top that?" Tuning in next week to find out.

So, is boredom a choice?

What would you add to this list?