Let's Play Distraction

"Hi."

"Yes?"

"I want to scream."

"Go ahead."

"Do you want to know why I want to scream?"

"'Why do you want to scream?'"

"I've got deadlines. For three different people. Using three different parts of my head."

"Left brain. Right brain. What's the third?"

"What's the third? ... You're right. Okay. I'm going to need both sides of my brain for three different things."

"Go ahead and scream."

"Can't."

"Why?"

"Too many people."

----------------------------------------

"Hi."

"Yes?"

"I can't get to work on my stuff. Can't concentrate."

Reads papers. Ignores person.

"Do you want to know why?"

Folds paper down. Raises eyebrows. "I'm dying to know why you can't concentrate."

"There's just too many things to get done. Overwhelming, really."

"How many?"

"Three. Three things. One's a story I need to edit. Another's a story I haven't started. The third's just planning and making the most of long holiday. I hate wasting holidays."

"There is nothing there that involves abstract reasoning. You told me awhile ago you need both right and left brain."

"Hello? Planning is abstract reasoning."

"Says who?"

"Says Freud. Carl Jung. It's in theory."

"Freud and Jung actually theorized that the left brain takes care of planning vacations?"

"Yes. It's complicated stuff. YOu have to know where do you want to go, how much to spend; if you need to bring your big or small overnight bag, whether or not our cuz Gary should sit next to my mother, that sort of thing."

"Those little things need left brained activity?"

"Actually, come to think of it, should be more right brained. Yeah, that's right. Have to be creative in figuring out the thing to do."

Goes back to reading papers.

"LIke I said, I can't get my work done. Very distracted."

Turns next page.

"I want to scream. Do you get that feeling that you want to scream?"

"Yeah. I do. You won't believe I do."