Tag Archives: distractions

Along The Way

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Yesterday took me on the road to a couple of neighboring communities for work projects. I normally enjoy these days because I get to drive and see things, maybe eat somewhere out of the ordinary or pop into a store on my lunch break. I get to see different people and maybe even meet new ones.

Yesterday was odd though. I left home early and it was still kind of dark, a little gloomy even. As the sky lightened and visibility became easier, it seemed the world was determined to throw at me every obstacle available. 

First, a bobcat crossed my path. This was a happy occurrence because it was the second I have seen in a week and their mere presence in the wild always makes me happy. 

Then came a parade of school buses, emergency vehicles,cars that pulled out quick only to go slow, a front end loader carrying a big box, mail cars, and an 18 wheeler blocking the entire road as it attempted to back into a driveway. That was all first thing in the morning and conditions really didn’t improve for the entire rest of the trip. 

I drove up on an unplanned road closure so I detoured the best way I knew how only to run into a detour on the detour. A horse in the edge of the road and a couple of Amish buggies later and I was back on track. The most terrifying event of the day though came while traveling on Lancaster’s busy Memorial Drive where I encountered a young adult man in the middle of the street. It is a miracle that I could swerve without hitting him or another car. I felt bad for just driving on but both lanes of traffic behind me stopped and I saw someone running across the street toward the man.

Here’s hoping he got the help he needs  – not just in that moment – but in the grand scheme of life. 

I traveled far less than a hundred miles yesterday but it seemed longer and was an eventful trip at nearly every turn. Some of it was kind of entertaining while many of these obstacles felt frustrating, distracting and downright scary. Yet I tried not to let it all distract me and to get to where I needed to be safely. 

You see, this kind of day always makes me think that someone is looking out for my best interests. The time spent behind the buggies or waiting for the trucker to back into his destination may very well have thrown off my timing enough to avoid an accident. Things happen in the blink of an eye and just a fraction of a second could mean the difference between life and death or at least damage to body and property. 

Things didn’t go as planned. So what? I made it home safe and I lived to tell the tale. I got a story out of it. Tomorrow is a new day. Maybe it will be more productive. 

I tell you to make the journey fun but we have established here that the journey isn’t always fun. In fact, it can be pretty hard at times. But the journey is life and life is the journey. If you try letting go of the angst and worry and simply enjoy the trip,, you might find it’s a lot easier than you believed. 

That’s my story and I’m sticking to it. Be safe out there, friends. Look out for those obstacles but exercise a bit of patience and try to enjoy your day – wherever it takes you!

PS – the above photo was made during yesterday’s unplanned shenanigans.

Finding Better Writing Conditions

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Mystery writer William Kent Krueger advises an aspiring writer to write every day. At least, this is the advice he gave to this aspiring writer as I held up the line at his book signing in Charleston, West Virginia last fall. Up until that day, I had trouble even calling myself a writer but I took his advice to heart and set about to follow it.

He said he writes first thing in the morning, every morning, no matter what. He protects that time.  He guards it as though it’s the most important part of his day because it is. When I tried that, it required me getting up at 5 a.m. so I would have time before work. 

Let me tell you something: I’m not very smart that early in the day.

I kept up that pace for about a month before deciding I needed to retool my approach. Spoiler alert. That never happened. Now, I mostly write at night when I ought to be winding down for the day. It’s rarely on special projects and usually just for this blog. 

Clearly, the world hasn’t missed out on my completion of the Great American Novel but I’m certainly not going to get there if left to my own devices. 

Most writers are masters of distraction and I know this to be true of myself. Recreational writing at home is hard because there is a ton of stuff to take my hand and lead me away from my intentions. Dishes need washed, trash needs taken and there’s a fine layer of dust on the dining room table that has peacefully existed for weeks but now requires immediate attention. The cat looks lonely. Maybe he would like to be picked up. No? I put him down and go find a bandaid because now my hand is bleeding. 

All true stories. None are exaggerated. As for the cat scratch, it happens more often than I should admit. And as Scout likes to say, he wouldn’t have to scratch me if I weren’t going around asking for it.

I recently spent some time in a waiting room and got to write recreational projects for about ninety minutes. Then I went to a public library for a little more. I put my watch and phone in my bag. The computer I use for writing is only for writing. I can’t access social media from here and have to actually remember and type in my email password. In other words, the only distractions were a handful of people coming and going as they browsed the stacks. There were other people working at tables around me but we all were quietly minding our own business.

This quiet combined with the gentle hum of an air conditioner and lovely view of nature, allowed me to sit still and concentrate long enough to string together a cohesive series of sentences into paragraphs that actually make sense. It was a gratifying, reassuring, inspiring and delightfully encouraging experience. It’s wonderful to know that I’m capable of doing more than I normally manage.

How does a gal replicate this atmosphere at home?

I really must find out!

Easily Distracted

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Preface: I located this story while looking for something else yesterday. I wrote it on Christmas weekend but it never got published, likely because I got distracted and forgot to do anything with it. You’ll soon understand why that’s funny. In short, this isn’t how I get to live most of the time but it sure does explain a lot about how my brain works when I start to feel overwhelmed.

I planned to be in bed by about 10:30 or 11 Friday night. I have been especially tired lately and the rest sounded nice.

However, I was still cleaning in the kitchen at about 9:30 when I decided to make a pan of chocolate fudge. The recipe is incredibly easy and requires just a few minutes. As I poured it into a pan, it occurred to me that I had time to whip up a batch of chocolate chip cookies.

While I was waiting for those to bake, I decided to make little peanut butter sandwiches with Ritz crackers and dip them in chocolate. 

From here, the sink full of dirty dishes reminded me that I needed to do a load of towels. While waiting for those to finish washing, I got to thinking about my linen closet and what a perpetual mess it is. So I chose two shelves to unload, sort through and organize.

Turns out the problem is I own too many sets of sheets. That includes two sets of flannel sheets for winter and about nine sets of lightweight sheets for warmer weather. 

There’s only one bed in this house. 

To be fair, each set offers something different and they all match different comforters. This is important because I like to change the bedding with the seasons to keep things interesting. So I did the right thing and got rid of one set as well as a few other random small things.  Yep. One. I know I have issues.  No need to comment and tell me. 

Along the way, I found an old set of shower curtain rings that would look better than the ones I was using. So I swapped them out and bagged up the old ones to give away. Speaking of giving away, I had a stack of clothes in the closet that I wanted to move out the door so I grabbed them and put everything in a box. 

Then I moved the wet towels to the dryer, did the dishes and finally decided it was time to sleep. 

It was after 2 a.m. So much for calling it an early night.

What I describe here is a luxury afforded only on vacations and long weekends. It was kind of fun but I knew I would be wishing for a nap the next day and was glad that I don’t always live this way.

The Art Of Reading

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Not everyone is a natural born reader. You know something? That’s ok.

But I know people struggle to read for a variety of reasons and want to offer some tips from my own experience.

It seems that I was born with a book in my hand. Reading is an escape, it’s entertaining, and it’s an amazing way to learn about anything under the sun. However, reading is something that I sometimes struggle with too.

It’s usually because I can’t quiet my mind or sometimes because I’m too tired to focus. I literally have lived years of my life traveling too much and unable to focus on a book. Any book.

Sometimes it’s because what I’m attempting to read doesn’t interest me or because I hate a character.

Back in January, I set out to read more books in 2020. Little did I know that the lofty goal of reading 100 books this year would become a vital part of staying sane during months of pandemic and seclusion.

Anyway, earlier this year, I listened to a podcast on reading and reviewed a few articles to develop strategies that would help me read more and better. Here are a some that helped.

Know That It Takes Effort. We live in a busy world that is brimming with distractions. You have to make an effort to turn off the tv, set aside your work, stop worrying about the bills, and focus on the words in front of you. This is super hard when there are so many distractions competing for your mental energy.

Respect Limitations. Reading is not the easiest thing to do for most people but it’s a thousand times harder if you have vision problems, trouble concentrating, dyslexia or some other learning disability. I’m not a doctor but would recommend seeking help with these issues regardless of your age.

Make Books Accessible. Some experts recommend reading multiple books at one time. The theory usually is that you should have a book at your fingertips wherever you go. The podcast that I listened to recommended having a book in the car, one in the living room, one on your nightstand, one at work for lunch time…. you get the gist. I have done this and have found it counterproductive because it takes forever to finish anything and it’s hard to stay engaged with a book when you’re reading just a few pages a day. I tend to read one book at a time and carry it everywhere I go. It’s much easier to become immersed in the action, remember characters and to feel some ownership of what you’re reading.

Play Mind Games. If you’re just getting started and feel intimidated, there are some things to remember. One is that you don’t have to read a 200 page book today. The other is that you can set mini goals for yourself. When you start a chapter, look at its length. If it’s ten pages tell yourself you are just going to read a chapter. If it’s fifty pages, say you’re just going to read the first ten.

If you’re struggling to focus, it is mentally healthy to have some goals. You can look at why your phone dinged after you reach your goal. You may find that you forget your phone even dinged and keep going.

Read What Interests You. I have a friend who only reads mysteries. I know others who focus on bestsellers like John Grisham. Some people like the classics or biographies or books about cars. Reading a book will do you no good if it doesn’t engage you in some meaningful way. I’m fortunate to enjoy many different genres. My reading list includes almost everything under the sun but it’s ok to focus on one thing.

Just remember, you don’t have to read Moby Dock to call yourself a reader. You just have to read.

Take A Break. If I read a book that’s challenging or that’s emotionally trying, I tend to follow up with something light. It’s like a palate cleanser for the mind!

Make It Part Of Your Routine. Personally, I like to go to bed early with a book. It’s a nice way to wind down after a long day and this is just part of my daily ritual. I read at other times as well but bedtime reading is my favorite. Maybe you would prefer starting your day with coffee and a book. Maybe you sneak in a chapter in your car at lunchtime. Just find a time each day that is reserved for reading, even if for just a little while.

Slow Down. Reading is not a competitive sport. Slow down and enjoy the story. Sometimes if I’m struggling to focus, I read aloud to my cat. Yes. You read that correctly. I read to Scout and he seems to enjoy it. Your eye can’t skip around if you’re saying the words out loud.

I know readers who shame people for what they read. Please don’t let others be a jerk about your book choices and in return, don’t do that to someone else. It’s not cool.

Sometimes I’m hesitant to give you my monthly book reviews because I hate people who brag about their reading. I have been giving my short reviews hoping to inspire others to read and to support authors and bookstores through buying or libraries through borrowing.

Hopefully you’ll find something in my mixed up reading list that sounds interesting and will encourage you to try reading for entertainment and learning!

Do you have tips for reading more or questions on this topic? I would love to hear from you!