Do you ever feel bored now that the house is quieter and the kids are gone?
I was recently asked if I ever experience boredom, and it made me reflect on the last time I truly felt it. Back before the tech era, we’d often find ourselves waiting—at the airport, in a doctor's office, or simply during downtime—staring into space or observing the world around us, and sometimes feeling a pang of boredom.
Those days seem long gone. Now, in a split second, we reach for our phones to scroll through feeds or check messages, even in the briefest of waits. The moments when we might have engaged with our surroundings—the people-watching, the textures and scents of our environment, the simple human interactions—are often replaced by screens.
In the hustle of modern life, we've lost touch with these simple, enriching experiences. The chance to notice a plant's texture in a waiting area, the aroma of coffee and popcorn in a theater lobby, or a friendly nod in an elevator—all these small, meaningful moments have become rare.
In our quest to avoid boredom, we might be missing out on the beauty and richness of everyday life. So, as we navigate this empty nesting phase, maybe it’s time to rediscover and embrace these fleeting moments of connection with the world around us.
