A New Type of Torture: Doing Nothing

A New Type of Torture: Nothing
“Pray, for what do we move ever but to get rid of our furniture, our exuivae; at last to go from this world to another newly burnished, and leave this to be burned?”
Walden, 48
I began to think of this quote during my personal torture of idleness. I started the two hours on my bed and proceeded to move around my room, consistently. I turned off all electronics. No cell, no laptop, no television, just my clock for company. I was in torture. Furthermore my bookcase of books was staring at me begging to read them. The first 15 minutes I stared at my shelves of books and fought temptation to open one. The furniture became something new to explore. I moved from one corner of the bed to the next or moved the chair around. I finally ended up on the floor in the middle of my room looking at my furniture from a whole new angle. I realized how simple yet totally functional my furniture was, yet how much in the past I had declared how I wanted more elaborate and fancier furniture. Then I began to appreciate the fact that I had furniture to climb around and attempt to pass the time by during my experimentation with “nothing.” I than began to ponder how life would be without any furniture at all. Furthermore, why do people obsess over furniture? I think I began to truly appreciate my “blah” furniture just because I had it. Then I imagined it “burning” after I have “gone.” This image of fire and burning of material items filled my thoughts for a good portion of my first hour. My identity crisis from my last “excursion” only increased. I was disgusted with myself that I was not able to do such a simple task. One would think that an assignment to do nothing would seem a blessing for a CMU student. However, the mantra “my heart is in the work” has been engrained in my soul that doing nothing became more work than relaxing.
The second hour was mainly spent staring at the ceiling and attempting to meditate. I tried to relax and not think of another assignment, but alas for a good portion I could not stop thinking of assignments and other things to do. However, I was finally able to find some peace the last half an hour of my quest. Yet, the minute my clock timer went off, I rushed to my computer and back into the world of endless communication. I feel that I am a different breed of person than Thoreau. I have been raised to be efficient and constantly working. In society today and I suppose for Thoreau as well, a person is judge by the amount of work they do. Doing nothing seems almost sinful.
After discussing this experience with a friend, who has read Walden, we have come to the conclusion that today’s Thoreau would need a slight adjustment. The only way someone could isolate themselves in a city would be with noise cancelling headphones. Sitting at a window with these headphones on could possibly simulate an experience to Walden. This is slightly disturbing in some senses. It is sad that in a world of progress and “the next best thing” nature got lost on the way. In some ways it is obsolete and in some cases even an inconvenience. This is so sad and disheartening.