It’s Christmas Time
I listened to an interview on the Diane Rehm show with Pier Forni about his book The Thinking Life: How to Survive in the Age of Distraction. I listened while in the kitchen but lost my concentration when back in the living room. Actually, I have too much distraction in my life to use readily available methods to solve my distraction. I could use my iPod to stream NPR and listen through ear buds. (I think somehow having buds in my ears means the wax has gotten out of hand and a garden has formed.) This would mean I could just wander through the house not missing part of the show. It is tempting; it would allow me to watch cable news, listen to NPR and be on my computer all at once. Which is how this letter is being created, I have my iPod in speakers shuffling through my Christmas play list, cable news muted with captioning, and my laptop on my lap. Where else? I can rewind my tv show if I miss something or quickly switch to the Internet for the hefty research needed to write my insightful and well reasoned essays e.g., this letter. (reference is to Michael Feldman notmuch.com) The distraction guy, getting back to him, suggested we used to do tasks that allowed us to think. I suppose turning off everything while peeling potatoes would work. It would take a lot of potatoes for me; I seem to have much to think about.
Steve at graduation of Alex Davis -- Knox College
Life with everything turned off?
I need to get back to All Things Considered, my computer, twitter account, Facebook, and TV. All of these have morphed into one device in our current time.
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