A Bet

Susan and I have embarked on a rather interesting bet. The premise is simple: engage in no form of passive entertainment. The bet: which of us can go longest. Watch a film? No. Surf the internet? Nope. Listen to music? Nuh-uhn. Reading fiction is no good (non-fiction is kosher). Going to restaurants is out, but coffee shops are okay. The idea was hatched on the grass at a park in San Francisco while watching some skateboarders doing awesome tricks. Why can't we do that? I guess we're just spending our time ineffectively.

So here I am, in an airport in Phoenix, Arizona. I haven't gone to any airport restaurants. I haven't listened to music, watched a movie, or a played a video game to pass the time. It's just me, a book by Thich Nhat Hanh, and this blog post.

It is interesting to notice the changes that are taking place. I'm chatting to people a bit more. I'm spontaneously singing a little bit more. I'm calling up old friends on the phone. I'm getting more stuff done at work. And sometimes, I just sit and breath and think. The result is that I find myself a little bit happier. It's hard to say whether this is just the novelty of trying something different, but I guess time will tell.

The bet has also had the unintended side effect of spurring some interesting conversations. Is a thought-provoking fictional novel or film really a passive form of entertainment? Is whole-heartedly paying attention to a piece of music really passive? Maybe you folks will discuss this in comments on this post, but I won't be able to join you. At least, not until one of us loses this bet. :)