My dad has often said this to me over the years, usually when we are discussing politics. My retort is always the same: “id rather live in a boring era full of nothing going on”

My reason being that “interesting times” from a history perspective are usually not very fun for the people living in them. As a fan of history, most of what is written about it in books and shown in the media is often violence, death, destruction, and turbulent political situations. Yeah i get it, that’s pretty interesting, and a good reason why i like reading about that stuff, but who the heck wants to live in a time like that?

Look, history as a practice in its most basic level, is the documentation and understanding of change in human societies. So it would make sense that the times when almost nothing happens doesn’t draw the eye of the tweed wearing professor, but just because nothing like an assassination or war takes place doesn’t mean nothing happened. There’s still love, life, community, and all the cool things that make people happy and fulfilled, and that’s the pie i want a slice of, not that “palace intrigue” or “human sized cheeto becomes fascist leader” stuff.

Now i understand that while there’s a lot of stuff going on in the news right now, but as of this moment, this is still the best and most comfortable time to live in for a larger slice of humanity than it has ever been. will that change? probably. But i think its important to recognize the privilege of not having to worry about horsemen cresting the hill outside your village and killing everyone you know and love without any notice. Then after recognizing that we have to continue trying to make this moment now be the best one possible, and that means pointing out the problems and trying to remedy them with the goal of making the history we live in as boring as possible.

I don’t want to give that future stuffy academic any more fodder for his thesis. I just want to live in a boring time where nothing of import happens.

Yet here we are, and despite my wishes we do live in interesting times don’t we? unfortunately its that same flavor of interesting that makes so many people listen to murder podcasts. But it is what it is.

What can i do about it? i don’t know. what will happen? only the oracle at Delphi could tell us and she’d probably do it in a confusing way that ends up with someone sleeping with their mom. But who knows really. Maybe it will be ok, maybe it wont, but i’m pretty sure there’s still a lot of good things to squeeze out of this life and pass around for everyone to share.

I guess this started as an admonishment to someone wishing i live in interesting times, and now i’m not sure what it is.

If i have learned anything in my short life is that there’s a lot of personal fulfillment that comes from being part of a community. I guess on nation scales that can be a bad thing, but on the scale of being friends with my neighbors its pretty harmless and beneficial. So if you’ll excuse me i think i will go say hello to my neighbor and make stupid small talk about how nice he trims his hedges or something like that.

I hope you are all ok. May you live in boring times.