Boredom

Life in the military was once described as long periods of boredom interspersed with brief periods of excitement. But that can really describe life in general.

Having been in the military, deep sea survey industry, wind industry among others, yes there were exciting things, but a whole load of dull too.

In the RAF we used to see the long dull hours by playing cards. Hunt (chase the Lady), Nom and Bridge. At Laarbruch there were up to four bridge schools at lunch time, now its impossible to find one other person who can play. But two of you is no good, you need four.

And there was Uckers. Uckers is a Navy game, Ludo with attitude. Every section on an RAF base would have an Uckers board, and their own rules too. At Marham we had different rules for each day of the week, and rules for exercises so a game could last 12 hours when we should have been building bombs or something.

And there was drinking too.

Lots of drinking.

So, with all the above, there wasn't any real boredom. As we would be doing one of these, or working. But mostly one of the above.

Times change, and once I was in the survey industry, we all had laptops, so would swap pendrives for video parties, passing box sets from one to another.

And so one eight week job off the coast of Norway one winter, we watched the last 5 series of The Sopranos, including one day where we did a 20 hour session in the crew room with no breaks.

So with thanks to Tony Soprano and Sim City, I got through those long dark days waiting on weather.

The 1970s were a decade of boredom.

Looking at the back pages of the latest Superman or Silver Surfer comics to see the endless great TV that was on in the US, and we had less than 12 hours a day, there was no "entertaining TV until midday when ITV would put Rainbow or Pitkins on, but then it was news and then Crown Court and then House Party and the Old Country.

If you were lucky kids TV started at four, but ended less than two hours later.

And then there was the three day week, power cuts and brown outs, where there was nothing.

And I don't think we were really bored. Really.

So, asking people to stay inside for 21 days, only go out for urgent tasks is not too much to ask, even if it is sunny and there are orchids and butterflies.

We have the i player, the internet, Kindles i phones and all the rest, we should never be bored. All to stop our friends and neighbours from getting sick. We can do this, no?