During last week’s round of Chris Listens submissions (hey, that rhymes), we received the following dispatch from a Sparkler in distress:
So, my mom works all week long, and I am an only child with a single mother. We have had record high temperatures where I live for the last three weeks, so I don't want to go outside at all. I am left all day to pretty much twiddle my thumbs, read, and get on the computer. I can't continue this for the whole summer, and every job near by doesn't need employment! (Even though I think the manager at Subway is going to give me a job, but that is for nights and weekends.) I am seriously afraid that I will die of boredom!
I can't drive because I am underage. I can't have friends come here to entertain me because my mom likes to be here when they come over. (Even if they did come I would not know what to do.) I can't rent movies because with no job I have no money. I am not in walking distance to anything fun (I'm in a rural town), and my neighbors are old people and don't have pools! I can't do anything!
What I am asking is for some help. I need help on what I should do to keep me occupied. I just figured you would want to help since this is not very serious and you usually get serious questions. I want to do something that would actually be fun to do! Summer sucks when you're stuck to ponder Frankenstein and stare blankly at Great Expectations, wondering if you can just use SparkNotes and not read the book...
Trust me, this is a serious question. You finally made it to the season of freedom and adventure, and you feel like you can’t take advantage. But don’t despair: You can still have a great summer. All it takes to turn your boredom into unadulterated awesomedom is a little creative thinking and some self-motivation. While being stuck in your house isn’t ideal, it does give you certain opportunities that you wouldn’t have otherwise. So get pumped, get psyched, and read on for ten ways to make the best of your summer sitch:
1. Learn a useful skill.
Yeah, I know, you already learn so-called “useful skills” during the school year, but we’re talking about things that will really come in handy later in life. For example, you could hone your cooking techniques and ensure that you’re never reduced to eating a microwavable pizza ever again. Or, if you're into computers and/or the internet and/or things that are visually pleasing, you could learn how to design and build websites. If languages are your thing, teach yourself some new ones—begin with High German, then move on to American Sign Language, then get into some Esperanto.
2. Learn a useless skill.
Summer is custom-made for screwing around, so why not master a skill that’s fun, but of little practical value? Imagine going back to school in September and breaking out your fancy new juggling moves, a blistering air guitar routine, or pen tricks that will amaze your friends and help you stay awake in history class.
3. Play games.
One of the best ways to burn up the hot summer days is to lock yourself in an air-conditioned room, draw the shades, and play computer games until your eyeballs fall out. If MMORPGs such as World of Warcraft or EverQuest don’t do it for you, you can go old school with chess or cards. Another excellent option: vintage Nintendo games.
4. Tap into your creative energy.
Use your summer solitude to reach deep into your right brain and see what you can pull out. Draw, paint, make collages, redecorate your room, write short stories or poems, or create manga starring your siblings as space visitors who vaguely resemble some of Earth's ugliest sea creatures.
5. Make noise.
You could yell, of course, but this one is a lot easier if you have instruments in your house. If there are none, convince your parents to get you a cheap guitar or a small keyboard. If you already play something, you might find that practicing in the backyard opens a whole new world of possibilities as far as annoying your neighbors is concerned.
6. Make friends around the world.
With the internet at your disposal, you can expand your social circle exponentially by meeting other trapped-at-home people around the world. Make a spreadsheet tracking your international acquaintances, and don't stop filling it out until you've got a friend in every country.
7. Start a blog.
Use the summer to keep a detailed account of your thoughts on, well, anything. Your blog could even be called “My Sucky Summer at Home,” and you could record and broadcast the frustrations related to your imprisonment. Venting feels good, and it's free. Get started at wordpress.com.
8. Grow something.
Start an herb garden on your windowsill, plant vegetables in your backyard, or just scatter wildflower seeds in the wind. There are few things more satisfying than watching nature in action. Better yet, you can harvest those bits of nature to top off the fantastic marinara sauce you recently learned to make.
9. Go somewhere.
Yes, we know you said nothing is within walking distance, but you might want to head out for an extensive stroll anyway. You'll get some exercise and learn more about your town. Just make sure to use Google Maps or something similar to identify a pleasant route before you leave—you don't want to hike down any highways. If your destination is within a couple of miles, you can walk to it without killing your whole day. If it’s farther, grab a bike. If you can't ride a bike, well, you've got a summer to learn.
10. Take your time going through Frankenstein and Great Expectations.
Well, I guess you could use SparkNotes and not read these books, but that will only leave you with more free time in which to be bored. Instead, take the opportunity to turn the pages of Frankenstein, Great Expectations, and any other books at your own leisure. It’ll be a nice breather from the hectic pace of school-year reading, and you might enjoy the books more if you’re not studying them for class.
Got a surefire cure for the summertime blues? Let us know, Sparklers!
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