Distractions

Distractions. What is their purpose? Events, whispers, phone calls, emails and TV that call us to somewhere else either mentally or physically that interrupt our ongoing lives. They take us temporarily away from something that we are either enjoying or not. Taking us TO something we are enjoying or not.

Sometimes they are unexpected. Things we had not planned in our day that disrupt the way we had planned it. Sometimes, we call upon distractions to take us away, albeit temporarily, from what we are currently involved in and dealing with.

So I guess we could categorize distractions as wanted or unwanted. In a happy place? Don't distract me with reality. In a not so happy place? Distract me with temporary unreality.

How do we distract ourselves from reality? There are so many ways and all of them are the same. A temporary "get out of jail free card" that we all want and cash in at some point or another.

Let's be honest. Real-ality can suck sometimes! So we numb our minds by being a workaholic. Or an alcoholic, drugs, over athleticism, eating, cleaning, gambling. You name it. They are all distractions from something. There are so many that it would take a psychiatrist to label them all. Do you know Anyone without one? Anyone?

OCD. Now that is a classic example of distraction. It's as if the brain has to compartmentalize other things; anything to keep from thinking about something only they may know about.
Wash your hands! Clean your house! Don't step on cracks! An attempt at control where there is none somewhere else.

I must admit that I am a tiny bit OCD. I always wondered why sometimes, if my elbow touches something, that I feel my other elbow has to touch it in order to feel "balanced." Weird. That is on semi-rare occasions. But when I catch myself "in that mode' nothing will suffice until I can "re-balance my world" by touching my other elbow to the inanimate object. For awhile, it was my yard. It HAD to look perfect at any given time. No brown grass. No weeds. I tried to control my life by controlling my yard! At least that was a healthy obsession!

I have a friend of mine whose husband must have his clothes placed in order by color in his closet. Ok. And also, every string on the end of rugs must be straight. Their house always looks like a model home and there is not one piece of paper anywhere. Me? I have my own "orderly pile." Don't touch it, I know where everything is, but it is out in the open! Neatness was never my obsession. Organized chaos works better for me.

For many years, I thought my friend's husband was a bit strange. Then I started to look at my own habits of distractions. It's all about your brain being able to cope you know.

What makes us this way? Is it our own way of "dealing?" It is said they we only use 10% of our brains capacity. That is frightening. Can you imagine the TRUE power we have unleashed in there? Perhaps those that we call genius are at 15%. Maybe those that we deem crazy are really 20%. Who's to say?

Maybe God or the powerful source only allows us to have so much brain function. We don't get no mac daddy use of our brain. Still. Why is it there if we can't use it? A question for those in the 20% category I suppose. It's like owning a Ferrari that you can only drive at 10 mph.

So I gave up on the yard to some degree. Still, I look out the big picture window in my kitchen and sigh. Green grass, where have you gone? I stuff down the feeling to run out there and start pulling every weed in sight. Nobody notices the difference in my yard but me.

So what is my distraction? For a long while, it was cats. I started collecting until at one time I was up to seven. Everyone started calling me the "cat lady." A label hard to live with. I DO love cats and all animals. But I have controlled this urge and now I am down to two through natural attrition. I do confess to fight the urge to turn my car into the humane society when I drive by however. But I am successful at this now.

My other distraction would be enjoying a cocktail. I am not an alcoholic by any stretch. But I do love my libations. I love the way it tastes and I love the way I feel.

I tried all the other stuff when I was younger. Cigarettes, pot, coke and more. Nothing. Give me a martini any day to "take the edge off" and I am one happy camper. At least my distraction is legal and will not break the bank.

What are your distractions? Will you even admit to them? Many won't. It makes you too vulnerable. And people don't like to be vulnerable. Every business book you see tells you to swim with the sharks. Never, never show any weakness. That's why so many hide in the shadows and take their feelings underground.

But they will surface somewhere. Believe me, they will.

I'm just passing by...