Attention

It’s a wonder any blogs ever get new posts. I’m amazed at all those who continue to do their thing. Because really, how many more things are there to do besides this? Half a million? Twenty thousand? Forty bazillion?

Even one thousand different activities can be too many. How do we manage to stay safe from seagulls who want to peck out our eyes? How do we choose to occupy our time? How do you choose between one good thing and another equally good thing? And how many times do the not so good things take over your attention?

Speaking for myself, I get carried away by the pleasant distractions often enough. There are easier paths: watch a movie, play a video game, scroll through digital media. None of those are productive at all. They are the actions of a consumer. I end up consuming something someone else created.

That sort of action makes me feel less than human. Is it sane to think one’s humanity is defined by how much one creates? It sounded a little bit insane to me just then. But then again, I know I’m not the only workaholic out there. I know people who are always repairing cars or fixing houses or making new things out of wood and metal.

Despite the world being filled with distractions, those who work really hard will always have the ability to focus on their current project and ignore the sparkly sideshows.

Meanwhile, the people who are fascinated by their cell phones will have birds peck their eyes out—because they weren’t paying attention to the world around them.