I have been practicing not getting easily distracted. I cleaned out under the kitchen sink the other day, and I promise it took all that was in me to not get up till the job was done. At least 4 times. If a child were bleeding or the washer was overflowing, I would have felt free to attend to it. But there were FOUR TIMES I had to physically will myself to stay on my kitchen floor till the last bottle was back in its organized place.
It's not like the four things were pressing or even interesting. I just am so scatterbrained that I jump from one thing to the next so quickly and easily that I don't seem to actually finish anything. Until the end. Then it's ALL done. But I never seem to reach the end.
I have the same problem in conversations. The other day I was at a coffee shop in conversation with 2 girlfriends when I saw across the room a couple I know who has 8 kids. So I interrupt whatever we were talking about to go on about how I'm so glad to see them out by themselves on a Saturday afternoon. I was able to wrap it up pretty quickly (2min?) and turn the conversation back to pink eye.
But really, it's not necessary that every thought I have in my head come out of my mouth! How rude! It's not necessary that I run all over the house moving things from room to room instead of just finishing one corner. Heavens!
I mean, God didn't create all things over seven days; he completely made different things on different days. Maybe that should be a model for my housework...keep me focused.
Rebecca, I've been away from internet and blogdom since before Easter I think, so I am checking in today and catching up.
ReplyDeleteFirst of all, I have never even heard of the two cookbooks mentioned in the cookbook post that supposedly all Southern women are supposed to own. I don't feel any less Southern for it though :) It actually scares me to think about moving back to the South-- what if I am only a Southerner to non-Southerners by now? Would Southerners even think of me as a Southerner anymore? I'm not so sure... Anyway, we'll cross that bridge if we come to it.
Second of all, I identify with this post 100%! Except it never occurred to me that it was a problem for others. Mostly people just laugh at my bouncing from one topic to another or one task to another. I'll bet no one thinks you're rude at all! But if you do figure out an effective way to better stay on task, let me know. Maybe it's just practice? I've never even done what you did by consciously willing myself to stay on task. I think about it later, but I never realize I'm doing it at the moment. It's just that natural stream of consciousness that leads me from cleaning up one area to totally starting another project to getting online to check on something and on and on.
Anyway, long comment. Sorry. I probably should have just emailed. I just wanted to say hi!
:) Abby