Tuesday, October 18, 2011

The Woes of a Short Attention Span


  • Do you loooove projects?
  • Are you just full of awesome ideas?
  • Is the thought constantly spinning through your head that you could do this, that, or the other, and in fact, you should be doing exactly that right now?
  • A perpetual and habitual list-maker, perhaps?


Yeah, well, me too. All of the above, for $500 Alex !
For all of about 5 to 20 minutes ... which is about as long as my attention span will hold onto an idea.

I am sure that there is a medical diagnosis for this condition, and that it probably has letters, and they probably make pills for it. I just can't seem to remember to care long enough to have ever looked into it. So, I keep making my lists. And losing my lists. And starting new lists. And augmenting those lists with other lists inside those lists. And then losing that list, too. It's a vicious cycle, that list-making.

I can't count the number of unfinished stuff around this house. Things I was soooo gung-ho and excited about, for all of about 3 minutes, until---Oh look ! A squirrel !

Seriously.

If I start something, and don't finish it right then -- I may as well just toss it in the trash. I will never come back and finish it. Even if it were to be hanging in front of the bathroom mirror with a sign that says MUST COMPLETE TODAY ! 


But, see, I know this about myself. I own it. I have no illusions of grandeur about all the things I will one day accomplish.

I'll accomplish the damn thing today, or just never mind.



Little Disappointments...


My daughter is in the fourth grade this year, and now, in addition to normal spelling and grammar, they also have creative writing. These exercises take the form of journal entries in a standard composition notebook with a pre-suggested subject.  I’m thinking that since I was soooo inspired to start a blog, and then hit a wall with what to write about, I might take some of her ‘suggestions’ and use them for myself! Writing is cathartic, right?


So, her very first one reads like this : Write about a time you were disappointed. What happened? Who disappointed you? How did you overcome this?


Ok, excuse me. This child is NINE. A time she might have been disappointed might be when Santa didn’t bring her what she wanted for Christmas. “And I was very sad. But I got a lot of other cool stuff, so I guess it was ok.” Or maybe “Once, I wanted to spend the night with my friend, but my mom said no and that made me very sad and disappointed, but then we rented movies and stayed up late and we had fun, so it all turned out ok.”  I mean, really. Not that she’s spoiled or anything, but hell. I’m VERY interested in reading her response to this one.  Maybe I’m underestimating the trauma she has endured.  Pffffft!


***Just as an aside, I read one of hers from last week. Who is your favorite heroine? “My favorite heroine is my mom. She is ausm.” Yes. Yes, I AM AUSM. LOL  Hey, hooked on phonics worked for her. You should totally give it a try.


This will be a whole new well of entertainment for me. I find my children’s thought process completely fascinating. I’ll be sure and keep yall updated, too. Who knows the kind of deep, mind-blowing thoughts that might come out of a 9 year old!





Love Letters on Wet Paper...

Dear E~


I miss you when you're not here, although I don't always say it.


I miss being able to lay my head in your lap while you stroke my hair.


I miss the way your eyes crinkle in the corners when you laugh.


I miss the way you'll do anything, say anything, no matter how ridiculous, just to make me smile.


I miss the smell of you. I use one of your t-shirts as a pillowcase, just to have something to hold. The smell of your cologne comforts me in the night when I can't sleep.


I miss the way your body feels so warm snuggled up against my back.


I miss bumping into you in the kitchen every time I turn around, because you only need something when I'm in there trying to do something already.


I miss sitting next to you on the couch, staring at the TV, laughing at the same stupid thing at the same stupid time.


I just miss you.




Come home soon,


        ~Love~