My attention span is about five minutes these days, and that’s a dead give-away that something is chemically amiss. I am usually focused bordering on obsessive once I set my mind to getting something done. I seem to have misplaced the "On" button for that part of my brain. As a result, everything in my life is a dangling participle. A half-finished paragraph. And it’s got to the point that there are so many of these partial projects hanging around, I don’t know which one to tackle first. The whole mess seems so overwhelming that I just…turn on the television.
Yep…the TV. The last time I spent so many hours in front of the boob tube was when I was a teen-ager. I used the tube as an escape from the emotional challenges of fluctuating hormones (though I’m sure I wouldn’t have described it that way at the time...) What’s my problem now? Escaping from the emotional challenges of fluctuating hormones…only fluctuating in the opposite direction, I’m afraid.
Typically, husband and I have latched on to one or two shows for a season or so. Up until lately, ER and West Wing were the big two. And Queer Eye got us hooked for a few months… But it’s not in my nature to sit in front of the tv for hours every night; I’m too high-energy a person for that. Until now. Suddenly, I have a whole litany of shows that I "need to" watch almost every night of the week. Boston Legal. Top Chef. American Idol (god save me!). House. NCIS. What Not to Wear. And then I was wasting two hours every morning watching reruns of "Judging Amy." Augh!
Yesterday, we finally had a spring day here in the Pacific Northwest. I managed to spend five or six hours outside. Took the dog for TWO walks. Weeded another bed. Mowed the lawn. Sat on the patio of our favorite local house-boat restaurant until the sun got too low and it got too chilly to sit outside anymore. I looked in the mirror last night to brush my teeth, and my face actually had color in it. Between about November and April every year, my face gets so pasty and sallow I scare small children at the grocery store.
Oh, well I hear some other half-finished task calling my name. Gotta go do…something. Or half of something, anyway.
Hope you get all those half finished tasks finished ~ you could finish a half knitted jumper for me if you have any spare time ~ Ally
ReplyDeleteA houseboat restaurant? Please tell us more. Sounds like fun. By Thursday the TV sort of self limits. It starts being so much noise and nothing penetrates. That's when I start looking for those little prayers. Those manage to get through. Except for the pollen, ain't spring grand.
ReplyDeleteJackie
Lisa,
ReplyDeleteTelevision is the devil. It will suck your soul right out of your eyes and turn you into a rabid, atomitized consuming machine! Quick! Turn it off before it's too late.
dave
Even the pulsating TV image in the corner of your post is mesmerizing. TV is the devil! Fortunately I've been saved from TV Land by J-Land. Except West Wing (yes! Josh and Donna finally together) oh and SG1 (alas, it seems Jack and Sam will never get together. He's now doing commercials ):) oh and CSI (Gil and Katherine?) oh and .... lol That TV image also reminds me that I have a half-finished embroidery around here somewhere.
ReplyDeleteSounds like Dr. Spring will have you cured in no time.
*debbi*
according to john lennon, people used to sit around the fireplace staring vacantly at the flames. now they stare vacantly at the flickering images on the tv.
ReplyDeleteThis is a subject I have been thinking about lately. I seem to have the same problem with the TV. I am surrounded by half-finished books and magazines.....but I always have to see something on TV, instead of finishing them. Now this is really pathetic, but I listen to the Starting Over House daily......after work, on tape. AND Dr. Phil and Oprah too. Heck, my projects don't even get started, let alone finished. I can't blame hormones cause I'm finished with that. Maybe it is old-age ADD. Or maybe I just used up all of my attention span earlier on, or maybe the brain cells are dying. Whatever it is, it is kind of scarey. The only thing that saves me is that I seem to be able to pay attention at work. Of course it takes a lot of post-it notes to help me remember what it is that I'm supposed to be paying attention to. LOL - Margo
ReplyDeleteThe only show I watch is Saturday Night Live, but there have been times in my life when TV was more useful than Xanax.
ReplyDelete