Describe a time when you felt bored

I'd like to talk about the time I was bored to tears at a long family event, a few years ago. It was a cousin's engagement party, held in a big restaurant. I was nineteen, and I was the youngest person at my table, surrounded by relatives who were all over forty.

At the beginning, it was fine. I greeted everyone and ate some of the food. But as the evening went on, the conversation turned to topics I couldn't join in with, like property prices, medical problems and old stories about people I didn't know. There was also a long series of speeches, each followed by applause, and the entire event lasted more than five hours. I kept looking at my watch, and time seemed to stand still. I couldn't even use my phone, as it would have looked rude.

To cope, I tried to find ways to entertain myself. First, I counted the lights on the ceiling, which sounds silly, but it helped. Then I went to talk to my small cousin, who was just as bored, and we invented a game with sugar cubes and napkins. Finally, I went outside for some fresh air and stayed there for a while.

Afterwards, I felt a bit guilty because I knew it was an important day for my cousin. But it also taught me something. Now, whenever I'm at a long event, I bring a short conversation topic or a small activity, and I try to talk to people of different ages. Often, it turns out that they're more interesting than I expect.