Living in Community IV: I’m bored — NOT

Imagine this. You are living on this tiny island. You have no access to television. You have no immediate or continuous access to the Internet. There is no shopping complex or cinema. You must walk or ride a bicycle anywhere you want to go. Are you thinking BORING? NOT. You simply never have enough time to do all the things available.
And what is available are endless beaches, hills, and bays to explore. This week has been beautiful water, sunny skys, light winds and temperatures in the mid 60’s. The young folk, and some of the olders, have been swimming everyday between work hours and even after work. Last Friday afternoon, when all the guests were gone and the work day was complete, several of us, about 10, were in the back yard of the Center making up games to play with building blocks and balls. Because of its far northern location the average length of a summers day here is 12 – 14 hours of daylight. Sunrise is about 430 a.m. and sunset just after 10 p.m..
There is a typical British pub on the island, but the cost is expensive so many of the young people don’t frequent the pub, or save it for special occasions. Tonight a group of the young folks are planning to spend the night camping on Dun I (pronounced Done E) the highest point on the island. It is amazing to me the length we (they) go to entertain ourselves in the absence of things we might typically believe is required for entertainment.
This becomes a thin place when we realize there is more to life than our technology and things, and connect with the people who are in our lives.