I think about distraction. I think about it a lot. And I'm well aware of the irony in that.
I hate being as distractible as I am. Sometimes I can't remember what happened. I mean what just happened. Two hours of my life will go by, and I'm not sure where I was. Sometimes I can't remember what happened two minutes ago.
It's "rest time" as I sit here typing this. I have several browser tabs open, my BlackBerry next to me, and I'm copying some photos to my computer. I'm reading my Facebook feed, looking at text messages, editing a photo, and trying to write this post. It's pretty silly, really. I desperately want to get as much done as I can. And I'm already distracted enough. But, the most distracting things in my life right now can't be charged by a wall outlet. At least I don't think they can. They are not even things. These wonderful distractions are my four amazing children.
Case in point- It takes 30 minutes to watch a 10 minute YouTube video during "rest time." I click play and Eli walks in and wants a piece of paper. Pause, paper, boom. Thirty seconds later, Selah walks in and wants a sheet of paper too. Pause, paper, slighly less boom. Two minutes later, Selah is back in becuase Eli took her paper. Pause, yell, what was I doing?
45 seconds pass. Zeke appears and wants to know if he can have a snack. Pause, spout off random diatribe about heathly eating, and we're back. And Selah's back too- to report that Eli took her other sheet of paper. Pause, more yelling, back to video.
A minute and a half pass of uninterrupted video. I use the time to scroll back and re-watch the first 2 minutes of the video again becuase I forgot what I was watching. I thought I was watching a music video, but there seems to be some white -haired scientist stuffing an iPad into a blender.
Eli darts in and patiently waits for me to pause. "Dad, guess what?"
"You gave Selah her paper back and now you are voluntarily washing the dishes?"
"No, I need to go to the bathroom!"
"Wow, I forgot we even had one of those. Thanks for updating me on the status of your bladder."
At this point, I just give up and go and respond to the screaming in the living room. I have trained myself to work in 2 minute bursts. That is about the maximum amout of time I'll get before I have to shift gears. Watching a video has proven to be too much.
* * *
But they are my amazing children. I want to give them the attention they deserve. I need to.
Zeke is forever wanting to show me something. He's always making a new creation, doing an experiment, or wanting to look up something on Wikipedia. He'll even knock on the door to talk when I'm in my other office (read: bathroom) filing paperwork. Eli spends 96% of the day crying or complaining to me. Selah is a little needy right now. She just can't reach everything she wants. And Titus. . . Well I have big plans for Titus. We are not going to mess him up. There is always something going on in my house. It's usually pretty amazing too if I can focus on it for long enough.
What else would I being doing while I'm pushing a kid on a swing and holding a baby as I play three -way catch and lecture everyone on the benefits of staying away from fresh dog poo?
Photo credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/hawee/3599320521/
This article on the NY Times almost sent me over the top: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/07/technology/07brain.html?_r=1&partner=rs...
0 comments:
Post a Comment
Leave your thoughts-