I don’t know if it’s a writer thing or just an Annie thing, but I have the attention span of a gnat. And not a very big gnat at that. It seems like there are just so many things to do and I can’t seem to get to all of them. So, I resolve to cycle through, spend a little time on each one, every day. Of course, this never works out – especially if something new comes onto the scene.
A new email, a cool picture, a friend in need or on a very interesting adventure. The best laid plans, eh? Still, I am determined to get over this appalling lack of attention span. I have considered blinders, you know, those big contraptions they put on horses so they will focus on what is in front of them? Though, I’m too vain and the fashion statement they make is just to horrifying to consider.
I’ve also considered drugs but given the fact that a glass of beer is about my limit, anything stronger will just send me to bed for a long nap, after which I will forget what it is I should be doing.
I wonder if it is just genetic and there is nothing to be done about it. I swear I do have the ‘bores easily’ gene. I’ve never been able to get over that one too. I get very interested in something and I can’t get enough of it – then once I figure it out, I’m off to the next discovery. Now, what would be the ideal job/career for someone like me? Writer sounds good, but I often wonder if I’m good enough and even if I am, if anyone really gives a hoot. It seems writers are a dime of dozen, if the Internet is any indication – between blogs and copywriter and writer sites, it would seem so. Of course, there is no qualifying the quality – but again, it seems no one has that high on their list of reqs.
Perhaps a movie location scout. It would always be new and keep me traveling. I’d probably get all the diet coke I could drink and maybe even meet some horny men. Apparently, no scarcity of those in the movie biz.
Or even an airline pilot. Now, I know you’re supposed to train for such a position but given the yahoos who check you in at security, how hard could flying the plane actually be?
A TV chef would be fun – again variety – but then I do like food and all the work I’ve done to lose weight lately could end up being for naught.
You see what I mean – this post proves my point. I have the attention span of a gnat. I guess I’m stuck with it. Now…what was I saying? 😉 WC
Anita Rodgers Mystery Writer 
you make me giggle…that is how my brain is everyday.
Hmm….maybe it’s a blogger thing…or maybe it’s the thing that makes a person blog? So many possibilities, so little time. 😉
Annie
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It’s NOT that you bore easily – it’s that SO MUCH attracts your attention! At least that’s what I say when told that “I bore easily”… Big projects? results? stick with it? NOPE –> on to the next cool thing, please.
You know, I like how you think. Yes, that’s it…my brain is so super huge that it just attracts things to think about – just sucks it all up. 😆 That’s the ticket.
Annie
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I’m sorry, what did you say? Heh.
Hey WC, I feel exactly the same way. I think creative people just have the ‘attention span of a gnat’ gene. I’ve always got a gazillion irons in the fire and I’ll be damned if i can get one thing accomplished.
Think of it this way…it makes life FAR more interesting when you’re constantly chasing after your thoughts.
Too true, 2LD – too true. At least now I know what I’m chasing after – all this time, I just thought it was my tail. 😉
Annie
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Must have everything to do with your creativity!
Hey, I’ll take that as an explanation, it sure beats mental deficit. 😉
A
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Oh my god Annie, please don’t become an airline pilot!! What starsign are you??
I’m a pisces on the cusp of aries – do you think that means I should become a sailor instead? 😉
Annie
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Yikes, that is how I feel everytime I log in to blogging. I have the best plans to get working on a really good quality post and then i get distractged by something one of my buddies wrote or an email or a news article. WHAM! Then because of my bad memory – the idea disappears. It may or may not ever show up again. 🙂 Well, at least you are not alone, Annie. I wonder sometimes if kids these days are going to be much worse off than us with the whole attention span thing. I mean, they now get their family time, music, advertising, and television shows in small bytes so what is that going to produce? Yikes. Nevermind. I don’t want to think too much about it. -Eep!
Well Teens, I like C’s explanation – we just have such huge, creative minds, that we latch onto anything interesting that hits our radar. Now, doesn’t that sound better? 😉 As to the kids of today, I wonder could they grow up any worse than we did? Something to think about.
Annie
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Rings familiar.
I would say I have the attention span of a gnat (cool new word for me 🙂 ) but the memory of a ……… (please fill in another cool new word for me, yes? ).
Some days I feel like a sponge, but a superfast sponge, whipping past life and holding on to whatever I pick up.
Great post!
PS. Re drugs, I had to explain to a friend of mine once why I didn’t feel the need for them after he suggested it would increase my creativity, imagination etc. I told him I’m already overwhelmed and a mess with my natural brain activity, with drugs I’d most probably be institutionalised. 🙂
Otay – the attention span of a gnat but the memory of scorned lover. How’s that? 😉
I had to laugh about your explanation to your friend about drugs – that’s on par with how I feel too. God forbid I should take any artificial means that would expand my brain – it would definitely be time for the padded room. 😉
Annie
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Hi WC,
What you need is an attention coach. That’s a professionally attentive person who will follow you around, observe you intently, and swat you on the back of the head with a rolled up newspaper when your attention. You can get a stronger attention focusing service, but the cattle prod really, really hurts, so I suggest starting with newspaper.
On the other hand, you could utilize your short attention span to further your writing career. Considering that many recent movies appear to be nothing but random, totally unrelated scenes, often without even character continuity, script writing might just be right up your alley. While it won’t cure your affliction, the money can be very good, or so I’ve heard, and, once you sell one or two you’ll be able to afford an attention coach.
For that matter, you could self publish book after book of poems about kittens. Everyone, after all, just loves kitten poems, so the market has to be… (Ouch!)
Alright, alright! I know, focus, focus, focus.
the Grit
LOL Grit! Yes, you’re right, I need an attention coach. Are you available? I’m a little shy to admit this, but I have written a couple of screenplays – although mine make sense, so that could possibly explain why I didn’t sell them. 😯
And the book about kitten poems is a definite winner – it would be a nice companion to the certain unnamed kitten blog that we all love to hate. 😉
Annie
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An attention coach sounds good. Oh geesh! I forgot I have to get that e-mail off to Jonelle today. Better do that now or it’ll be supper time before I remember again. What should I have for supper? Oh and it has to be early tonight too so Levi can get to Beavers on time. Thank God scouts is nearly done for the year, but now we have swim club starting up. It never seems to end. And Keegan told me last night Felicity wants to come for a visit with Lucas, possibly Friday, so I better get the house cleaned today since I’m gone tomorrow. Where in the world did I put the broom?
Sorry, you were saying? 😉
Sounds like you’ve got the attention span of a mom with a big family. Unfortunately, I have no such excuse. Try to steal a few minutes for yourself today, eh?
Hugs,
Annie
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I have things going on in completely different directions, always got my foot in something while my hands are off doing gosh knows what! but I never seem to lose sight at what Im supposed to do .. what I’m trying to do, or trying to achieve. This post made me giggle because it makes you REAL. It makes you human.
Yes, you are a busy little bee – sometimes just reading your blog I get exhausted. 😉
This post makes me real? Seriously? Oh honey, I have so many flaws and warts that it’d probably scare the bageebers outta ya. 😉
Annie
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How about a talk show host? It’s sort of a hard gig to get, but all you need to do is look pretty and feign interest in someone else for a five to seven minute interval. Of course, the ideal job would be something like professional YouTube watcher or Wikipedia surfer, but sadly there’s not much demand for those positions since most people do them for free.
Ding, ding, ding! I think we have a winner! LOL – it’s frightening to think of me as a tv talk show host – although, I keep trying to talk Zelda into doing a radio show with me as Hermoine and Daffodil – but that’s for another day. 😉
WC
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Hi WC,
Yes, I’m available, but I doubt you can afford me 🙂 Gods, just the train fare, I refuse to fly anymore, and the cost of 24/7 Jethro Tull music are more than most can pay, or stand. As to the screen plays, all I can say is that, if they make sense, your odds on selling them to the Hollywood elite are greatly diminished. Perhaps you could find an independent producer, looking for that retro-feel of rationality, who would be interested? Of course, you have to know that, during the production process, your work would be twisted out of all possible recognizability. On the other hand, money is money.
the Grit
Clearly, I can’t afford you – but if I get my book contract maybe that will change. Yes, money is money, isn’t it?
A
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My attention span is why I teach preschool. No one seems to notice if you spend 1/2 a millisecond at one thing or another. They just assume it is because you need to watch the children. Part of that is true, the other part is just my attention span, or lack of one, I guess.
Oooh, Mrs. V you have the perfect job for gnat attention spans – so stealth of you and I’m sure no one does notice – you lucky girl, you. 😉
WC
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I made the mistake of reading all of the comments. Now I forgot what you were saying. Sorry.
LOL – I rest my case. 😉
Annie
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…You would look good in a sailor hat Annie.. 😉
I wondered if you were an Aries… You’re an interesting mix on the cusp like that – a mix of the oldest and wisest of the signs and the youngest and most exciteable of the signs – Aries people can’t sit still long! 🙂
Actually, I do look good in hats – not sure why though. So, I guess that makes me wise and restless, eh? Yeah, that sounds about right. 🙂
Annie
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Problem with the attention coach and the newspaper swat to the head.. the newspaper would be permanently stuck to this head. LOL!
Perhaps your screenplay should include religion, sex and mystery…saw this the other day..students were asked to do a short story with as few words as possible on the above. The winner: Oh God, I’m preganant..who is the father? Not much for a short story but certainly a winner with the fewest words..eh?
The hat would make you stand out …I am visualizing it now..About the Author..Annie in her hat…of course this is on your soon to be ‘best seller’..gotta do something to bring you to the attention of Oprah..she can sell the cooty out of books. Now let’s see.. Hey, that would be a good post…how to get Oprahs attention! Come on gang…bet there are lots of idea’s out there..lol!
Now what were we talking about?
Hey Ange,
I think we’d both be walking around with a newspaper stuck to our heads. That story is a little freaky if you ask me. It’s not really a story – just someone cleverly taking the formula from prime time television.
LOL – I’ll never be on Oprah’s radar – but thanks for the thought. 😉
Annie
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Well, I’m glad I got an explanation for my ‘gnatiness’ (hey, now, don’t take that the wrong way!) . Thanks Simonne for the Aries tip! 🙂
See, gnatiness is a good thing. 😉
Annie
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