"I am bored."

[Nrom Normandy]

I remember joining Second Life when it was this weird new semi-MMORPG and it was beta testing. I showed up in the original grid and there were Lindens scattered about. Schedule boards showed different types of events in-world in real time. Everyone was a newbie, and everything was new! There were no LSL wiki's. Copybot wasn't a concern. Unfortunately, it didn't interest me enough to subscribe, but I returned once again in 2005 to see a world much different than the one I first encountered in beta.

I share this with you today because I am thinking of a sentence that I sometimes hear people utter when they are on base: "I am bored." This is something I don't understand, simply because of the amazement I encountered when I first rezzed on the grid and still encounter daily. The things we do with scripts were simply not even considered back then. Sculpties didn't exist. Physics was simply objects being affected by gravity or pushing them around. Awesome avatars were covered with multi-colored prims! We are so spoiled now by our content creators, and I find it uncomfortable to stay on the ground and avoid zooming into the air with my aircraft.

Enough about me, let's talk about the topic of this letter: boredom. I'm sure this is a feeling that many of us have felt before in our lives, and I myself have used the word to describe my mood in the past as well. I find it is helpful to define words that I use, as it helps me to understand the meaning that is actually attributed to it, rather than the one I thought belonged to it. The word bored, when used as a verb, means to weary by dullness, tedious repetition or unwelcome attentions. Boredom is described as an emotional state experienced during periods lacking activity or when individuals are uninterested in their surroundings. Is this what you are thinking when you use this word? Is the Ordo boring, or is it the lack of activity that causes you to be bored?

I realize that when people use this word they are not trying to imply that the Ordo Imperialis or its members are boring. There are a great number of interesting and active individuals that participate in this organization. I think that this word is employed most when we are not being entertained. Everyone in Ordo is a volunteer, and ultimately each one of us comes here to entertain ourselves and have fun. When the base is busy and we're taking part in activities, this gives us something to do. When we perceive there's nothing for us to do, this is when we start to feel bored. Some people go and play other games, others may leave Titan to discover other things to do in Second Life. There are many options available to you when you feel this way, and I'm going to cover some of them.

I have a hard time feeling bored when I'm in Titan. I often think back to when I was a Schola cadet and I was learning about the values of brotherhood. I was taught that I should place the group above my own self-esteem, and that by focusing on the group and working in the group, we would accomplish more than I would alone. This is why I put my focus into joining secondary branches, such as the Officium Curia, Tactica, and IEA. When I log in, I know I have things that I can be doing. As an NCO, I often check soldiers uniforms to make sure they are meeting regulation standards. I check on soldiers I see on base to see how they are doing. I look through my groups to find Schola cadets or Armatura students who need lessons and either teach them myself or I arrange it for them. These are just a sample of some of the activities I participate in, and sometimes I feel like there's so much that I want to do and so little time to do it! This would bring me to discuss time management, but that's too far off topic for this post.

If you put your focus in this group on others instead of on your own entertainment, you will find that you will establish stronger bonds with your brothers and sisters and also you will find no end to your personal entertainment. The more you put forth into this group, the more you will get back. It may seem like the immediate rewards are not what you expect, they may even be disappointing, but you must maintain focus on others and in the end you will reap personal rewards. By that time, however, it shouldn't matter as helping others is a reward in itself and will never leave you without entertainment whenever you log in.

So when you're bored, what can you do? If you haven't already done so, take advantage of those many opportunities in the secondary branches of the group. There are obstacles before being eligible for these opportunities, the first is that you need to complete your Armatura training! Armatura training is required in order to advance through the ranks in Ordo, so find magisters and get it done! The second obstacle is the minimum rank required for various positions, which is usually E-3. In addition to Armatura, you must also complete the E-3 preparation exam which is located in the database link on the website. Tactica is exempt from a rank requirement, so apply there on the forums if you are interested as that group is a huge asset for all of our offensive encounters with hostile organizations.

Did you have the desire to join an alpha squad? You need to complete Armatura and get E-3 to get considered for this! Let squad leaders know of your interest, and take every opportunity to train with the members of squads you wish to join. The things you need to learn can't always be taught in a classroom or through training exercises. You need to get out there and use your equipment and practice, and the best way to do that is against some of our elite fighters in alpha units. Astra pilots, take every opportunity to dogfight with other members of your division, as this is the only way to improve. If you take accountability for your own improvement, you will notice it and others will acknowledge you for it too.

You may have heard about the Ordo Imperialis' Ludi organization. This group is intended to develop ongoing training programs beyond what Schola and Armatura can provide. Do you have ideas for advanced training? Put it together in a structured format, and work with the Ludi to get it implemented! You will often find that if you take initiative with this and develop a quality program, you and the participants will receive a reward in quality points for participation. Everyone will win and there is already incentive there for you to do a great job and actively develop new ideas.

There have been many articles and letters written to Ordo personnel that have indirectly addressed the topic of boredom. These documents should have instilled in you the values of brotherhood, that rank isn't required to enact change, that promotions shouldn't be your only goal, and that you should exercise humility in your daily interactions with your brothers and sisters in the Ordo Imperialis. Rank requirements are not a shackle to hinder you, there are a great many things you can do to participate and you can find yourself with so much to do you won't notice the time pass by while you're on base. Your contributions and experiences will help us grow as an organization. With all of this in mind, boredom has more to do with an emphasis on individual entertainment than a perceived lack of activities on base. If you turn your thoughts towards others and put your focus on them rather than yourself, you will never find a lack of things to do on base and you'll never have to say "I am bored" again.

[Aryte]

I couldn't have said it better myself, Nrom. It was a very enjoyable read and I appreciate you taking the time to write this up.

[Acheron Gloom]

Everything Nrom says is awesome. I wish I could be as awesome as him.

[Seb Yakan]

Great work. A well written and interesting read.

[Trinity Heckroth]

I love you Nrom.