It's the first Wednesday
of the month ~
the day when members of the
Insecure Writer's Support Group
share their writing struggles
and offer their encouragement
and support to other members.
To visit the IWSG website, click here.
To become a member of the IWSG, click here.
Our wonderful co-hosts who are stepping up to help
IWSG founder Alex J. Cavanaugh today are:
Eva Solar, Melanie Schultz,
Lisa-Buie Collard, and Stephen Tremp.
Visit them and thank them for co-hosting.
I'm sure they would appreciate an encouraging comment!
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
 |
| wikimedia |
My husband's recent retirement
has thrown a monkey wrench
into my writing.
It has gone to hell in a hand basket.
Now I am not blaming
the Ever-Patient
for this unfortunate turn of events.
The fault lies
squarely with me.
I struggle with being distractible
at the best of times.
But the novelty and fun
of having Terry home all day
has undermined my discipline!
 |
| pixgood |
After a lifetime
locked into schedules,
I have no constraints!
This is not good!
I know what I have to do:
set priorities,
make a schedule to accomplish them,
and focus on sticking to the plan.
I suck at all three.
 |
| My Favorite Button-Pusher My Brother Roy with Me |
My siblings call me
the ADHD One.
Siblings so excel
at pointing out
one's defects,
don't they?
Sometimes I think
they may be right.
I've had lots of experience working with
children coping with ADHD.
I've found them to be imaginative,
creative, and divergent thinkers.
But they do have trouble with
prioritizing, ✔
scheduling, ✔
and focusing. ✔
Classic example:
I was giving an intensive reading test
to a third grader while the rest of the class
worked independently and quietly.
Suddenly we were interrupted
by the unmistakable sounds
of photon torpedoes firing and big explosions.
I walked over to the offender's desk.
He had transformed his name tag
into the helm console of the starship Enterprise
and was loudly shooting down Klingon Birds-of-Prey.
Guaranteed he was seeing Birds-of Prey
and not the work he was supposed to be doing.
Fortunately I am empathetic.
Because I am no better!
Classic example:
This month while lounging around with the Retired One,
I discovered one of my favorite slot games on-line,
Star Trek Slots,
a game I could not play in Vegas
because it gobbled money at an alarming rate.
On-line it is free!
It's also an inane time waster,
but irresistible to me
if I take that first spin.
 |
| Flickr ~ Tom Simpson license |
Guaranteed I am not gonna stop
till I have phasered aliens
and torpedoed Romulan Warbirds.
Or blasted through
all my fake money.
So I've identified the problem:
the sudden freedom of no constraints.
I know the solution:
prioritize,
schedule,
focus.
Can I do it?
I'll let you know how it goes on June 3rd.
Notes:
Thanks to Teresa and Alex for helping me
recognize my problem and its solution.
ADHD: attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder
✔ Me too!
Yes, but sometimes life is in the distractions.
ReplyDeleteVery true, Melanie! Thanks for the reminder! Enjoy your day as a co-host for the IWSG!
DeleteDistractions are my excuse. And because I have a distraction at least a hundred times a day, this WILL interfere with my writing, unless I shove Distraction away.
ReplyDeleteTeresa
There are so many distractions around us, aren't there! When I'm distracted by something compelling, then I find things like having to make supper or go grocery shopping distractions. I'll try thinking of it as Distraction and shoving it away, like you described. Happy IWSG Day!
DeleteDistractions? What are they again? I was just watching the cat bat a toy around the floor. Where was I?
ReplyDeleteLOL! Cats are such fun to watch and to play with! And your Orlin has the most gorgeous markings, and Cassie is so cute. btw, I was reading your post yesterday and may have forgotten to leave a comment ~ distracted!! ~ but I wanted to say I saw a new header: six graphics in different colors featuring the two cats. It was awesome!!!! Have a great day!
DeleteI've been trying to write my book for ages..I have one pararaph..feck..I need to make a schedule and stick to it...but GG;s and life keep interrupting me.
ReplyDeleteHey, JS! One paragraph is better than none, and you have such a unique voice! So easy isn't it ~ make a schedule; but it's the execution of that schedule that's the rub. Have a good one!
DeleteHmmm that game sounds like fun!
ReplyDeleteSounds like you're really enjoying having your husband around full time which is LOVELY, and understandable. Sounds like you're ready to get back on that disciplined track now though.
I get distracted easily too.. my thing to conquer is procrastination
Have a great day Fundy!
Thanks, Dawna! I love that my hubby is home with me! We're both shaking our heads that we are retired and having so much fun. It doesn't seem real! As you can see from my sporadic visits, I'm falling down all over the place. I'll get back on track very soon. I hope that your graduation was great and that you had a proud sense of accomplishment!
DeleteI hope my post at Teresa's helps you then. I find that without a set pattern or habit, I end up doing nothing productive. (Like marathon computer games.)
ReplyDeleteThanks again for your kind words on my blog. I really appreciated it!
It already has, Alex! I'm feeling oriented again! You post today was helpful too, because it pointed out some priorities that were more important to me than I had realized. btw, bringing the IWSG up to Writers Digest's level is an outstanding goal! Wow! If anyone can do it, you can!
DeleteOh, distractions. Why must you be so tempting?
ReplyDeleteSo true! So sad! Have a good one!
DeleteHello dear Fundy,
ReplyDeleteGames can be very addictive and it can impact on adults too...
When I was stuck 24hs round the clock raising baby parrots, I used to love playing with Sim City, building towns then creating disasters and... try to cope with them! LOL!
I believe the best way is to give oneself a limit in time when playing...
Nowadays, I don't have the time anymore!
Many thanks for your lovely comments on my recent posts, I really enjoy reading you :)
Yes, it was quite funny and puzzling to see australians bikers with helmets full of 20 cm long antennae!!
I believe many species are fearless when defending their nest and readily attack people, often aiming at the eyes. A friend of ours in South Africa had told us that the Indian mynahs do that and when someone wants to approach a nest and that you'd better wear sun glasses! Naturally we thought he was joking!
But one year the species built a nest on the roof of the parrot nursery and hubby decided to go get a baby to see if it was a good talker when hand-raised (as if I needed this extra work...!).
Well he had to rush down and get his glasses since both parents were indeed aiming at his eyes!!
To cut the story short, I raised it but it never talked with us... We then gave it away and he began pouring an endless monologue repeating everything his new family was saying!! LOL!
Keep well, Fundy, and enjoy your thursday!
Thank you for your thoughtful reply, Noushka!
DeleteI'm trying to imagine raising baby parrots! I'll bet they were cute! I'm glad that your husband didn't get his eyes picked out! I'm in awe every time I see a group of small birds harassing a hawk near a nest in a cottonwood; the hawk always looks so miserable. Sometimes they will go after a hawk in the air. They'll gang up on it and chase it aways. They can maneuver so much faster than the big, heavy raptor. But then, when the hawk gets hungry, it's different. I know that this isn't news to you, but I do find it fascinating!
I'm reading a sci fi novel right now set in what is now Guatemala and Mexico City during the height of the Mayan Civilization. It's a fascinating look into the culture, and the Mayans used bird feather everywhere. I am just blown away at the thought of the numbers of birds that were killed, although they did raise them live and harvested feathers over their lifetime. I don't know if I ever told you about the bird highlight of my life ~ seeing two live quetzals in the cloud forest of Costa Rica, one high up in the canopy, and one much lower down.
The trouble with setting time limits for game playing with someone like me is I'll blow right through a time limit. I have trouble setting boundaries, and when I'm engrossed in something, prying me away is like trying to remove a barnacle from a rock. I have trouble LOL "transitioning from one activity to another." I don't care about eating, sleeping, showering, chores, whatever; and I can be quite prickly if someone suggests that I take a break. That would be my poor, Ever-Patient husband! As I type this, he is reminding me I have an appointment in 25 minutes and must leave. Aarrgghh!!
Thanks for sharing your anecdotes! Have a wonderful day, sending hugs. I can make the appointment just fine, particularly if all the lights are green! LOL!
Good luck!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Debra! We'll see how it goes!
DeleteSo true, Lanise! Have a good one!
ReplyDelete