There’s something quite compelling to me about the concept of “entertaining a thought.” I seek entertainment when I am bored, when I want to be amused, or when I need to relax and unwind.
My thoughts rarely stop. They come unbidden. Sometimes I try not to think about a certain thing, but my mind keeps returning to it.
Most frustratingly, in the middle of the night, I wake up thinking about a problem or an idea I want to explore. My mind just won’t stop. I learned a long time ago, that counting sheep doesn’t work. So I entertain my thoughts knowing that eventually I will fall asleep and dreams will come.
Dreams are the most entertaining thoughts I ever have and I welcome them. There’s something so weirdly random about dreams. You never know who is going to show up.
This mind loves to entertain thoughts. I pour them a drink, offer them a snack and say, stay awhile. Take off your coat. Pull up a chair. Tell me, what are you thinking.
But most of the time, entertaining my thoughts is not a social engagement. It is a solitary pursuit. There’s a party in my head and you’re not invited.