I would never, under any circumstances, claim to know the secret to infinite happiness, or the key to leading a fulfilling life. I would, however, feel pretty comfortable in saying that I have figured out quite a few things in my seventeen years. While my personal solutions to the wearying moments of the human experience are by no means universal, I doubt that they are exclusively mine. As such, I feel compelled to share them because sometimes as a culture we lose sight of exactly how many opportunities there are for us to occupy our time in a productive way and better ourselves.

Take this quote from comedian Louis C.K.’s FX show, ‘Louie’: “’I’m bored’ is a useless thing to say. You live in a great, big, vast world that you’ve seen none percent of. And even the inside of your own mind is endless. It goes on forever inwardly. Do you understand? Being the fact that you’re alive is amazing, so you don’t get to be bored.”

We succumb to boredom and pseudo-depression without putting up a fight, when there are endless opportunities for us to cure ourselves if only we should try. It is far too easy to give up and use our god-forsaken ‘St. Charles’ name as an excuse for solitary brooding and developmental stagnation. We can always have experiences worth learning from, regardless of the lack of attractions in our town, or how few close friends we have that are willing to pull us out of our Facebook-stalking lulls and explore the real world with us.

Without being too corny, let me be your friend. Let me take you on an adventure into your world, your immediate community, and most importantly, your own mind.

I will start you off with one of my favorite YouTube videos. It contains a poem by Tanya Davis, entitled ‘How To Be Alone,’ adapted by filmmaker Andrea Dorfman into a charming video that offers simple advice to curing boredom, with or without accompaniment. Enjoy.

EDIT: Here’s the link. Embedding is impossible. Sorry. <3