Recently the Wall Street Journal had another “people are crazy” article…this time about people who run indoor marathons. Apparently in addition to the physical challenge of running long distances, the indoor variety adds the boredom of running around a track. As one fellow says, “When your friends hear you’re going to run around the same course 150 times, they call you crazy, and that feeds the marathoner’s ego.”
That reminds me of two classmates of mine in grammar school. When they got bored in the summer they had a contest to see who could kill the most yellow jackets with their bare feet. (!)
But it’s not just humans who need challenges. Working dogs such as border collies can go a bit bonkers if they’re expected to just sit around being pets. So some humans are renting sheep for the dogs to herd. It keeps the collies happy and out of mischief.
Other humans are taking the time to teach their border collies the names of the various toys they fetch, and to distinguish between verbs such as fetch, nose or paw. The dogs love it. The only problem with the method is the humans don’t have as much patience as their pets. One owner said his border collie wanted to practice four or five hours a day and he had to go to bed to get away from her. 🙂
What about you? Do you need challenges in your life? If so how do you go about getting them?
Jean, isn’t it universal that humans need challenges to keep us ticking, happy and on an even keel? How do I – personally – make sure I get them? I do not need to look out for them: My life is a challenge, full stop. And I don’t even have to walk miles to get water and carry it back home on my head. And then there is my endless research.
I myself hate marathons. Always have. My PE teacher who was very fond of me used to despair at my refusal to run miles and miles and miles instead asking her “Why? What’s the point?” It is SO BORING. Give me a 100 m sprint or something that’s over in a flash and I’ll love the challenge and will be off like a shot faster than you can say ready steady go. No doubt a psychologist would have a field day with that attitude of mine.
I agree about the dogs (though a little wary of Collies; I believe them quite prone – a bit like Dobermans – to go off their trolley). Though was fond of Lassie. That story will keep.
I grew up with a most wonderful wonderful black Alsation. I loved that dog. He had such grace, such poise, such elegance. And yes, my grandparents did make sure that he was kept busy. Not that we kept sheep for him to round up.
A popular dog in the UK is the Labrador. They are such easy going softies. However, give me one of those miniture handbag dogs and I am afraid I will run a mile, maybe even a marathon.
U
I do not go looking for challenges. They come looking for me all the time. The biggest is to bear with bores.
I took a dozen border collies on my hike near by. They were in cages otherwise. When I got back there were only 11. The boy friend in a wheel chair with NO legs was very upset. He wanted me to do the hike over & find this dog. I said the dog would come home when hungry. (BTW he had a HUGE ashtray piled high with cigarette butts. I know-incidental)
This sounds like I made this up. But it’s true.
BHB, I probably shouldn’t tell you but you make me laugh so much – in a good way. How to lose one out of a dozen collies. You are a better woman than me. I’d probably come back with thirteen.
U
Ursula,
“…isn’t it universal that humans need challenges to keep us ticking, happy and on an even keel?” You’d be amazed by how many people don’t realize that.
About Labradors…yes, many of them are laid back, which is one of the reasons they’re so popular. They can also get compulsive about chasing and fetching though. A blue winner came through the shelter once and would fetch for hours if you gave him the chance. I was throwing a frisbee for him in the back kennel area when the frisbee slipped under one of the gates and got caught. He went after it and wasn’t about to give up. So I went off to do other things for 5 or 10 minutes knowing he would keep at it. He never managed to get it out so when I came back I rescued it and threw it for him a while more. He was in seventh heaven.
It also reminds me of Heidi, the president’s dog when I was at Stanford. She would walk around campus with a tennis ball in her mouth, hoping some friendly student would throw it for her.
rummuser,
You do indeed live a full life. Your mention of bores reminds me of how few I have in my life.
bikehikebabe,
Did the 12th one ever come back? Going back to look for him/her wouldn’t have done much good. When dogs get lost on hikes they seldom stay on the trail. I feel sorry for the dogs being locked up in cages.
Did the 12th dog come back? Tom asked me the same thing. I had no way of finding out except to go back to that same house where the dogs lived. That No-Leg guy was sooo mad at me & rude, I had no desire to ever go back. Poor dogs.
I find that I get interested in something and that the challenge emerges out of playing around with it.
Evan,
I do that too, when life hasn’t handed me an unasked-for challenge.
The trick is not to find the challenging a challenge?
Jody,
Does that mean you don’t enjoy challenges?
“How to find challenges in my life”
that is soooooooooo funny! 🙂 🙂
my latest challenge is trying to work out how the computerised enrolling system buggered up my enrollment and decided that the concession I needed was the right one – well hell no we have just discovered it was the wrong concession…SO STILL FINGERS CROSSED that I can actually do the Edo Japanese Literature paper officially…
that’s academia
on the personal front a number of minor challenges to get going when I can…some get ahead whilst others are still dangling on the “have to work it out list” (invisible at moment list)
Jean,
I would say, QUITE THE OPPOSITE. The most challenging thing in the world is to find peace no matter what the circumstances. It’s one of the ways I work on locating my “buddha center.”
Jody
Cathy,
Yes, I’m well aware that you have a surplus of challenges! Thank you for keeping us posted.
Jody,
I approach life differently. I’m more interested in optimizing stress:
Jean,
I’m trying to understand what you’re suggesting. For the sake of discussion, can you explain to me why one can’t have a CHALLENGE, and still accept it as a challenge, but without stress?
For example, when I think about the whole concept of FLOW, that to me is a way to rise to a challenge creatively, but without anxiety.
Well, perhaps just don’t get it, but I’m trying to!
Jody
Jody,
There’s a big difference between stress and anxiety. Stress is just energy, we wouldn’t get anything done without it. You’re talking about poorly managed stress rather than using the energy of stress creatively and constructively. Have you looked at the Traits of Stress-Hardy, Resilient People?