Fun, New Challenges

A couple of months ago, when I first joined Awkward Compliment, one of the guys would call notes we received “improvement opportunities” as a way of putting a positive spin on what is potentially something negative. Or rather, not negative, but not always that fun to hear.

When I was going through the training center, one of the guys in my class referred to them as “handicaps”… as in, handicaps we need to get over. We’re not bad, we’re just handicapped. Excuses!

My “handicap” is that I have ADD. Self-diagnosed, of course. But it’s my excuse for everything:

“Patty, why don’t you watch LOST?”
“I don’t know, I have ADD. I can’t sit through it.”

“Patty, did you watch that video I posted on your Facebook wall?”
“No.”
“Why?”
“I have ADD.”
“It’s 2 minutes long!”
“… and I forgot.”

“Patty, did you read that book that I --
“Look, a spider!”

For months now, I have been asked to listen to this episode of “This American Life” entitled “What I Learned From Television”. I keep saying, “OK, I’ll listen to it.” But then I never do.

So then when I’m asked again, I’ll say, “Sorry, I’ll get around to it…” but still, I never do.

Finally, one day while sitting in my apartment, I decided to give it a try. I realized it had been on for 20 minutes and I basically didn’t remember a word that was said. I was simultaneously writing something, painting my nails, staring at the ceiling, sorting through clothes – basically anything else besides listening to the program.

Today, in a hungover stupor, I decided to give it another shot. Maybe I’ll take on the challenge (in addition to things like not breaking in scenes and “keeping it together”) of sitting still for an hour and listening to this episode I’m apparently going to love. And, while it took me longer than an hour – I stopped it after Act 2 so that I could re-charge myself – I did enjoy it. It required a lot of paying attention, and I couldn’t do much else but listen because balancing listening to people talk and other things is SO hard!

But it put me in a mood of “I can do anything I put my mind to!” and then I was inspired to do other things I’ve been meaning to tackle… but then I got distracted.

I was given an assignment, or a “fun new challenge” to listen to another episode… and when I do, I’ll write about how I have ADD and it’s my excuse for everything but one day I decided to sit down and listen to it and how it inspired me to do other things, but then I got too distracted.

Until then!