Speaking of Health...

          There is nothing worse to me than someone who is boring. I would rather be sad, angry, or in great discomfort than be bored. Luckily, I find most people interesting, and it’s rare that someone is boring enough that it affects me. What I’ve discovered, over the years, is that staying healthy doesn’t simply mean just eating well and getting exercise; it means surrounding myself with friends who support and challenge me. Boring people may be supportive, but they are rarely challenging, so I probably don’t want to spend much time with them.

When I meet a new person, or if I am put into a new situation, I have been told that I get very quiet. This is strange for me, since I consider myself opinionated and deeply invested in the livelihood of others. The reason I stay quiet is because I am waiting until I understand the personalities and relationships in my environment. What kind of humour do they have? What different experiences have they lived through? Do they have crazy opinions? I am attracted to the personalities of those who are confident and have lived their lives strangely. They are the people I want to learn from, whom I want to challenge, and have them challenge me.

Bernard is an interesting person. We know this because he has a beautiful moustache.

One of my goals, of late, has been to say truthful things. It’s harder than it sounds. How often do we say we have to go, when in fact we just want to leave a conversation? How often do we tell harmless lies to not offend someone? Thankfully, I keep good company, with people who will challenge me if I say something that isn’t true. I think if I kept boring people around me, I would hold myself less accountable.

I am blessed to be surrounded by people who are interesting, honest and thoughtful. They keep my mind healthy and my conversations sincere. While I think the desire to keep away from boring people is universal, we all need different people in our lives to complement us. What kind of people do you surround yourself with?

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