Multi-tasking...

I have been pondering whether my ability to multi-task is a good thing. Sometimes it allows me to be efficient and do two jobs at once. (For instance, watching TV and folding laundry, particularly matching socks!) But sometimes both tasks get the short end of the stick.

Today I blew the leaves into piles in our yard and then began to prepare them for composting, all the while listening to my Greek vocabulary on my headphones. I was making great progress until I noticed that the Greek recording had suddenly stopped... just as I poured a load of leaves into the compost bag!

Somehow, my faithful old iPod headphone cable had gotten tangled, come unplugged from the device... and, you guessed it... it fell under all those leaves... I had to dump out the full bag, and then dig around to find it, and then re-rake and re-stuff the bag. The good news is that I got my slightly dirty iPod back. The bad news is I had to rake the same pile twice.

I can laugh at myself for this stupidity. But at the same time, I begrudged the time wasted digging for my iPod, re-raking and re-piling the leaves.

Did I really need to try and study while I raked leaves? Couldn't I have just enjoyed the breeze and the clouds and birds? And did I really make that much headway on my Greek? I was short-changing myself on both.

I guess I do the same thing when I try to live in the middle without committing. I try to "have it all." And in doing so, I get little to nothing.

So. I'm trying to be more selective in my multi-tasking. If you see me with a far-away look in my eyes when I should be paying attention, just remind me.

How's about those leaves, Deb?