Facebook
Twitter
YouTube
Entertainment junkies
We are self-confessed addicts of activity and entertainment, we need our fix!
So the summer is here. One can almost see the cloud of relaxation descend upon the masses. Those who have been locked away in their dreaded chambers of books and pens are about to be unleashed upon an unsuspecting world.
For those who have spent the past few months indulging in the delights of the summer sun it may already be beginning to appear monotonous and tiresome, entertainment can oft be hard to come by. Amongst long hours of gardening or thumb fiddling until Greys Anatomy begins, one may even be experiencing fleeting moments of nostalgia for the old Murder Machine. This, my friends, is a flashing hazard signal, a clear indication that things have gone too far.
As diligent students (undoubtedly) who immerse ourselves wholeheartedly and work tirelessly throughout the year it is the thought of the summer months that keep us going when all else appears desolate. The possibilities of what is in store fill our every fantasy and pollute our every conversation. Summer is the most beautiful and inspiring time of year and yet I ask you, why are there still moments so tedious that they seem to last forever?
As educated and cultured members of a developed society we have become entertainment junkies. We are in constant need of activity. The thought of staying at home watering the plants is terrifying. We need to be busy. Pretty ironic considering we are the supposed 'Lazy Generation' content with a Big Mac and Xbox. Truth be told, we are far more likely to be kicking a football or hitting a volleyball than previous generations, as recent surveys have discovered.
Perhaps it is this constant flurry of activity that has embedded within us a permanent urge to be entertained. I recently was subjected to a raised eyebrow when I persisted in fidgeting uncontrollably throughout a priest's painfully long sermon. Following this hour-long ordeal my mother nudged me as I began to hurdle over the church benches and hissed 'Can't you ever sit still?'
I have come to the simple conclusion that the answer to this question is a very clear and resounding 'no'. No, I cannot calm the irritating, nagging voices in my head, which insist on formulating methods of entertainment at every opportunity. I cannot stop talking, dancing, laughing, shouting, gossiping, and drinking. I have to be at something, anything, or else I will spontaneously combust in an explosion so great that it will strike fear into the hearts of men!
Ok, ok a slight exaggeration perhaps but not entirely untrue. In our parents’ youth they were confronted with countless opportunities to beat the boredom. Dancehalls were scattered around town and country; days spent with neighbours in the bog or painting the kitchen were a part of life. Today our elderly neighbour asks for our assistance and we either contemplate how much money we can get out of him or whether he's some kind of paedophile. It's not safe for us to explore city streets or climb distant mountains.
We have grown up in a world that suspects everyone and everything, but this has done nothing to quell the adventurous spirit of young people. We still want to explore and discover the world for ourselves.
So let us find means of satisfying this biological condition instead of ways to cure it. Harass your local council, ask for a field, a room, a town hall, a place where we can plug in a few amps, kick a football, have a picnic. The summer months can be long and painful if the only light is the odd disco or a DVD night. We are self-confessed addicts of activity and entertainment, we need our fix!
By: Maire Rowland
