This Summer

If there is one thing that I've learned this summer, it's that having nothing to do for long stretches of time is dangerous for my psyche.

I suppose this means that I am of that terribly selfish breed that - if left to my own devices - is likely to have a brain hemmorage (or three) from contemplating the fallacies of humanity for long periods of time.

A couple of weeks ago I was discussing my sour mood with my mother, who, quite frankly, was tired of my idiotic bad attitude. Who can blame her? I was acting like a selfish baby, the type that's likely to hold its breath until various idiotic demands have been met.
Anyway, she quickly recognized that boredom can be lethal for me when given in high doses. She saw that I needed a project or some other activity that would place my energies in other people, thus alleviating the pressure of my excrutiatingly critical gaze on my own soul.
(Jeez. Could that sentence have been any more convoluted?)

So, I started going to the gym after work every day. All those articles that claim the benefits of exercise are pretty much spot-on. After only a week of working out, I really did feel happier, and my overall mood towards the world was a little brighter.

I also began to read like mad. In one month I read something like twelve books (most of them were various childrens' books, but they still count as literature), and I'm only just beginning to slow down.
This brings me to another fun fact that I've learned about myself this summer: spending 8 hours a day doing very little that qualifies as actual work in front of a computer = introduction to the joys of online shopping.

I have spent countless hours of the last two months shopping for books, shoes, clothes, and movies (but mostly books). I haven't ended up buying anything except books online - including $300 worth of textbooks, yikes! - but I've been sorely tempted to spend my money on many things.

I don't know, I guess in my mind, summer is the time for book buying, swimming, and being lazy with friends - but based on this year's experiences, maybe I should begin to change my outlook a little...

Life's too short to be depressed so often.

Right?