Doldrums

Greetings from the doldrums of summer. I'm pretty sure I only have one reader these days because I haven't posted in about 2 months. But that's not a reason to stop, I suppose. Currently I am struggling to overcome the wait for my LDS mission, mostly by working, reading, and wasting time on the internet. My call comes in exactly one week, barring some kind of delay up at headquarters. And even when I do get it, I'll still have at least 3 months before I leave. I work, study for the mission, and sleep.

So that leaves me in this dilemma: What do I do with my remaining time?

Option 1: Play video games. This option is attractive because it requires very little work on my part, and I'm easily entertained, so games won't be a drain. On the other hand, it's terribly dull in the long run, and I get all kinds of grief from my parents. (That's another story)

Option 2: Read books. This option is awesome because I always used to love books, and it gives me a greater depth of culture and imagination. (Trust me, my booklist is good, I'll share it sometime) The issue with this is that I've found it difficult to get into reading as avidly as I once did.

Option 3: Explore the valley by bicycle. Out of all the potential physical activities I can do, biking is by far the most appealing. It can be independent, exhilarating, and less painful than running. I also have a buddy I can ride with, so that's a plus. The disadvantage is that I'm unsure of new routes and I don't want to get injured right before I'm expected to serve.

Of course, I could do all of these things. I don't want to just sort of do these things though, I want to have a good time. I don't want to play the same video game endlessly, I don't want to get stuck in one genre reading books. I also don't want biking to turn into a zealous attempt to "get fit", and ride the same places all the time.

I have other things that use my time, of course. I'm doing some wall construction for a neighbor, and I'm writing 5 current or future missionaries. I work about 30 hours a week. I'm just tired of all me extra time seeping away.

This is all in reflection of course, I'm probably going to carry on just as I have in the past. It's the easy way. But I would hypocritically encourage you, reader, to carpe diem, seize the day. Make someone smile, do something memorable.