Listception

They say that necessity is the mother of invention. Ok, that makes sense. Cavemen needed to hunt, so they invented the spear. Eskimos needed to keep warm, so they invented the igloo. Hungry busy people needed a quick, easy meal, so they invented Hot Pockets. But I have a sneaking suspicion that some inventions were not birthed by necessity. I think that sometimes, there's a much stronger force at play and it can probably take credit for more inventions than necessity can: boredom. Or, more accurately, I think that boredom is the mother of necessity (thus being the grandmother of invention, if you were finding this extended familial metaphor difficult to follow). Think about it: Alexander Graham Bell was sitting home alone, he needed a way to talk to his friends, he invented the phone. Thomas Edison was sick of sitting in the dark after his candles burnt out, so he invented the light bulb. Ben Franklin's plans were rain-checked, so he grabbed his kite and his house keys, went for a swim, and voila! Electricity. Boredom is responsible for some pretty groundbreaking inventions because the human mind is capable of incredible things when left to its own devices.

I myself have some firsthand experience with boredom. Anyone who has ever been on guard duty for upwards of 8 hours will tell you that boredom is to be expected. That's not exactly a bad thing -- a boring guard shift is most certainly preferable to one with a lot of action. And when you're facing such spectacular tedium for such a long period of time, that's optimal procreating time for boredom. 

Now, the nature of the invention depends entirely on the nature of the bored person in question. When faced with overwhelming monotony, I personally make lists. In the past year and two months that I've been in the army, I've had lots of guard shifts, and therefore have made lots of lists. I gave you a little preview in my blog entry Top 10 Reasons Why The IDF Is Like Harry Potter, but that was only the tip of the tip of the tip of the iceberg. I create these lists constantly. I haven't really posted anything about my daily life since I finished my course, and perhaps I will one day, but until then, I feel like writing about what I think on a daily basis is almost just as good. So as a product of my current state of boredom, I hereby present to you...

Listception; 

or, The Top 15 Lists Created By Becca When She Was So Bored It Was Borderline Dangerous

1. The 6 Most Common Nicknames Given To Me By People Who Think "Becca" Isn't A Name

2. 10 Life Skills I Learned During The Year That I Worked At Bed Bath and Beyond That Are Weirdly Applicable To The Army

3. Top 5 Reasons Why My High-Ranking Officer's Ring Tone Should Not Be "Sexy Lady" By Shaggy

4. The Top 1 Reason Why I Hope My Officers Don't Read My Blog

5. 26 Of My Friends Who Would Actually Have A Chance At The Hunger Games and How They Would Fare If All Pitted Against Each Other

6. Top 5 Mustaches Featured On The Faces of The Palestinian Bus Drivers I Work With Daily

7. 12 Most Creative Recipes for Potatoes I've Seen Since Drafting

8. The First 10 Things I Would Do If I Discovered That I Was Sabrina the Teenage Witch

9. 15 Hebrew Words and Phrases That Are Hilarious When People Try To Translate Them Into English

10. 6 Reasons Why Hercules Is The Best Movie To Watch More Than Once In A Row If You Only Have Room For One Movie On Your Phone

11. Top 4 Bodily Functions You're Exposed To When You Spend A 12-20 Hour Guard Shift With Three Boys

12. 250 Productive Things I Could Be Doing Instead of Making Lists

13.  20 Reasons Why My "Red Hot Chili Peppers" Playlist Is The Best For Passing Time

14.  Top 15 Times My Friends In Israel Made Me Feel Like The Luckiest Person In The World

15. The 100 Best Times to Use The "I'm American, I Didn't Understand" Excuse

So there you have it. A brief glimpse into the extraordinary capabilities of the human mind when it's forced to occupy itself. Don't get the wrong idea, a lot of my army service has been really interesting, and serving Israel has provided me with some amazing opportunities. But being in the army also means that sometimes I'm bored, sometimes I have to watch Hercules three times back to back, sometimes I have to look for things to make me laugh so that I don't go crazy.

Depending on how much longer I can put up with these guard shifts, there may be a Listception part II coming soon. Until then, you should try watching Hercules. Or maybe an episode of Sabrina the Teenage Witch.