Bored… or, whatever
This past weekend, our family went to a local farm that was hosting a sheep shearing exhibition as well as a Border Collie ‘herding’ demonstration. The weather was perfect and the day filled with sights and smells we don’t usually get to enjoy. The atmosphere caused each visitor to feel a part of another time - generations ago - when farms were commonplace and produce was found on a stalk, not in a plastic bag tucked into a refridgerated aisle in a supermarket.
What struck me most was a kid next to us during the collie display. It was remarkable to see these animals in harmony with each other; sheep and shepherd dog in a dance that has come down through the centuries. Dog and master tuned to a rythymn of life that commands respect and admiration. And all the while, beside me, a 10-ish year old wrapped in complete boredom… begging his dad to get him out of there - anyplace else - where he could be doing something ‘exciting.’His father finally gave up and the pair trudged away to the parking lot. I could only imagine that the ride home would culminate in a television being turned on and the video games being dropped into the slot. Fun.
I am a fan of technology - in fact I composed this Blog on my tiny handheld BlackBerry. But we have lost something as a culture in our desperate hunt for entertainment. You see, at the farm I stood and watched the sheep in their pen. The older ones gathered the little lambs into the center of the herd and kept a wary eye out for danger. In the Bible, God declares that we humans are a lot like sheep. I wonder. They have the good sense to huddle together - not a selfish one in the lot. And not a video game to be found - for miles. Boredom doesn’t live on farms. But there sure is a celebration of life that can only be found in places like that… where the songs of the ages are still hummed in the breeze; and one can still see the Dance. The Lord of the Dance still calls a generation to come join in. Their response is a collective ‘yawn.’