Death by Multitasking

I laughingly call them “blonde moments”…

My dad used to say he had “old timer’s” …

More and more I hear folks referring to those momentary lapses wherein we forget the most basic of things…like looking for keys left stuck in the door…or the glasses perched squarely on our heads...

I do it myself more times than I’d care to admit…And while part of me worries I’m losing my mind (and may very well be) another part of me is quite certain it’s not for lack of brain cells, but instead, the problem lies in trying to cram too much into too little at any one given moment in time.

Scientists tell us the human brain is physically incapable of  focusing on any two things at any one point in time; yet most all of us live our day to days convinced we can do six things at once, (though no one suggests that any one of those six things are being done properly).

I know of no other culture that prides itself on  “multi-tasking” ~ In truth, we should probably be rewarding those still able to “single focus” (…ie. doing one task, all by itself without going bonkers)...To me, these folks deserve the prize.

And while some swear by websites, designed to flex brain muscles, playing jewel dropping games and completing word association puzzles…

And others insist bridge or chess or cross words will keep them young and mentally alert (I’ve no doubt these things help)

I contend what might help most is disciplining ourselves to do one thing and one thing alone in a state of full presence …Could we handle it? Or would it feel foreign and inefficient?

(Let the record reflect, I have not mastered this task. I merely theorize that the opposite of how we got here might hold potential answers as to how we get out...Just a thought...I could be wrong.)