Tips for avoiding boredom

Chris Thomas

Columnist

But then I started thinking, what about my Jewish readers? How could I write a Christmas column and not discriminate against them? And what about if people of the Muslim or Hindu faiths were to read this column? So, after much consideration, I have decided to forgo the Christmas theme (or any other religious theme for that matter) and focus instead on fun, non-religious based ways to pass the time.

Let's face it, all of us become bored at one point or another in our daily lives. Whether it is during class when the professor is lecturing or when you are eating the same meals over and over again in the cafeteria, boredom is bound to set in at least once a day. So how do you combat boredom? Believe it or not, I have answers. Not because I am an all-knowing super genius, but because I'm bored a lot. Driving to and from Waterloo, driving to and from Chicago, and working six-hour overnight shifts are just a few examples of the times that I need to find something to do.

I'm sure you have times when you're bored, and maybe you already have a routine that you follow to keep yourself amused. If you do, good for you. If you don't, here are some ideas.

This first is a driving game and is by far my favorite. Almost everyone probably knows this one.

It's called "Hey Cow." This game works best in the summer months, since you need to have your windows down, but it can still be played during the cold winter months if you can bear the wind chill factor.

The concept is simple. When you are driving past a field of cows, scream "Hey Cows!" at the top of your lungs and count how many look at you. Give yourself a point for each cow, and keep track to see who comes out on top at the end of your drive. Some variations on the game can include added points if you get the cow to take off running or if you wake up a sleeping cow. This might seem childish to some of you, but to someone from a city suburb, this is a great time.

My second game to pass the time isn't as interactive, but still sort of amusing. Get the wedding announcements from the newspaper, cover up the story part of the announcement and focus on their pictures. After careful studying, try guessing what each of them do for a living. Sometimes you are right; most of the time you are not. Sounds kind of boring, but after awhile, it can become quite amusing. Plus, the more people for this game the better.

I have many more time wasters and games you can play if you are trying to kill time, but I have simply run out of space. Maybe next year (if Y2K doesn't kill us all and end the earth as we know it) I'll pass on some more ideas. Until then, have fun harassing cattle on the way home.

And I guess I finally should say before I go, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.