jakorte's blog

It’s been a week of random thoughts. From stun guns to office supplies to hair color, then from progressions to Bose, the relationships seem vague and jumpy at best. But, I think sometimes GOD is a better distracter than we realize.

For example – I am never listless or list-less. I don’t have time for the first, and couldn’t survive without the second. Oh, I suppose technically, I could survive, but I really do thrive on lists and without them who knows what I might miss along the way.

Writing all those little and monumental tasks down can be self-intimidating, but the reward of removing an item from impending status is apparently an addictive high for me. Sometimes, while I’m creating a list, I get stopped by a word. Sometimes, it’s wondering about a dual meaning, alternate spelling, the origins, or where I last heard or read it.

Distraction is a positive force to be harnessed, though. It can bring you back to the present, which sounds like an impossibility, but here’s how it works. You can take yourself out of a situation, and then put yourself back in, peacefully. This week’s Take 10
Meditation class provided a do-able example. You’re driving, your mind is racing, traffic is stopped; frustration is building. Ask yourself three questions.

Who am I? Where am I? How can I participate?
Name yourself – silently or aloud. Announce yourself – silently or aloud. Participate – silently or aloud.
I am a driver. I am in an air conditioned car. I participate by taking in my environment, saying “wheat grass lines the road.”

I am re-distracted by the results: head swiveled, breathing returned to normal, tightened grip relaxed.
Where did those other thoughts dissolve to? Where did those briefly abandoned worries go?

It’s like that when I am listing. I veer off task to participate in a purposeful and specific distraction; leading me down a different path for just a while, then, bringing me back with an enthusiastic clarity for the task at hand, having been gifted with a mind-expanding exploration.

I thank GOD for the distracting random thoughts and the incentive to follow them.
And, I thank GOD for the email and note pad capability of cell phones.
Otherwise, I might forget these moments, and not be able to pass them on to you.
Here’s to all our distractions, and the celebration that should follow each and every one.

In this issue: Progression, Hairdressing, Stun Guns, and Bose.
Now posted:
New Orleans, October 2009: Real Wealth of Sharing & Caring
Humor, That’s Random: Office Supply & Demanding
Humor, That’s Random: Hair Today