The Subtle Art of Being Bored

Have you ever sat on a park bench and observed how an orphan leaf dances with the wind, arm in arm? If you haven’t, do it. It’s an instructive exercise.

The last time I tried it, I couldn’t continue for more than five minutes. My phone interrupted with a buzz. And before I realised, I had wasted twenty minutes looking at my WhatsApp messages, and other social media feeds. Of course, the leaf had eloped with the wind by that time.

Isn’t it a common sight – people sitting on park benches with their eyes glued to their smart devices? Forget park benches; it has become difficult for most people to resist the urge to look at their mobile phones while waiting at the traffic light.

Here’s an interesting trivia. Since 2007, the sale of Wrigley’s chewing gum has been declining. And the reason behind it, they later figured, was an unusual candidate – smartphone. Flabbergasting, isn’t it?

Earlier, a significant portion of chewing gum sale came from the customers waiting in the long queues at the billing counters. Wrigley’s cleverly placed their products near the checkout counter. Apparently, chewing a piece of gum relieves the mental torture of waiting for your turn.

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