Nothing is boring

Tyler McNeil
Managing Editor

My word count was zero after months of trying to define my experience on campus.

My deadline was calendar pages away and I couldn’t put a simple sentence together. My best source was me — and I declined to comment multiple times.

Last week, my research started to pull through. I took a new approach. I didn’t look at academic transcripts or textbooks, too outdated to sell. Instead of scanning through previous articles, photos and recordings to uncover my journey, I looked around me.

I looked outside the Hudsonian’s office window. I saw faces, buildings and trees. Everything I saw came with a story. There were stories I may never hear from people I may never see again. Each brick of every building was part of a bigger story.

Then, it hit me hard. The best way to define my experience didn’t involve what I’ve accomplished. It involved thinking about what is left to be uncovered.

I had one solid conclusion: nothing is boring.

During my time on campus, I have learned that boredom is just another name for a roadblock which inhibits consciousness based off imaginary limitations.

Accepting boredom prevents movement. Accepting boredom prohibits discovery. Accepting boredom justifies decision-making off of assumption-making. A strict believer in boredom would not continue this sentence.

Having worked with the campus community, especially on The Hudsonian, I have learned that boredom is optional. When opportunities seem too strange or too difficult to explore, boredom can appear to be a reasonable choice. It’s not.

Every person met through classes, meetings and even at the bus shelter can change a person’s perspective if they’re not immediately tagged as boring. While everybody has a story, not every story is heard.

Being a reporter is not a requirement for putting together a great story. Being accepted to a personal top pick college after many sleepless nights, working with the community to organize a project for the less fortunate or landing a dream job after graduation is part of putting together a great story.

It takes many great stories to pass on another great story. While it’s unrealistic to know every story, it’s very realistic to capture as many stories as possible at every corner. Stories are being built everywhere. They’ve built me.

Turning on my handheld recorder for each interview for The Hudsonian, I’ve always heard a beep, but it’s always hard to anticipate what sounds will come next. I’ve spoken to refugees, victims and activists. I’ve talked to public officials and names that don’t travel much farther than a driver’s license.

There’s a global library packed with stories I will never hear. There’s a future packed with faces, words and sights I have never seen. It’s exciting to know that there are still many stories to learn and share within a future unknown.

Moving on from this campus, I’m excited to learn about what stories I will find in the next chapter of my own story. Change can be scary or even disappointing, but my excitement to flip the next page will endure through each chapter of my lifetime as long as I remember that nothing is boring.