I have wanted to write something for quite some time now. A book. A play. An article. A story. But I can't think of anything to write. Ideas run through my head all day, yet the second my pen touches my paper, they vanish. As a result, it's fair to say that I have thought of nothing. Which may, in fact, be something.

Nothing is underrated and underappreciated. From birth until death we have been conditioned to search for something - a job, someone to love, money, meaning, purpose. We expend time and energy for something because we fear an onslught of nothing. Rather than staring at a wall or lying outside and letting our mind wander (and think about something so seemingly trivial that when asked what we were thinking, we reply, "Nothing."), we automatically exhibit a sudden, impetuous feeling of urgency to do something, anything. However, society doesn't allow nothing. The world doesn't allow individuals to experience nothing without feeling certain side effects. People feel that itch to do something; some call it motivation. It could also be labeled as uncomfortability or anxiety...fear.

In essence, we are taught to run away from nothing, rather than embrace and understand its hidden contours. For you see, without nothing, it would be difficult to truly define something, we wouldn't really know anything, and all of this ambiguity would ultimately result in...well, nothing.

Learn more about this author, Bill Billferson.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.

---

Add your voice

Know something about Sometimes the hardest thing to do is to do nothing?
We want to hear your view. Write now!