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June 29, 2005
Distraction
I’ve had a hard time writing anything interesting lately. At first, I thought it was because I was too busy running all the back-to-America errands that piled up over the last 6 months. Then I thought it was because I was too caged in this house to do any productive thinking. Tonight, I realized my real problem: cable television.
For the last year, I have had extremely limited access to television. In fact, unless I was at the O’Leary’s for a sports game or Fox and Anchor for on-screen karaoke, I have only watched television during random intervals (like Turkish CNN). But since I’ve been home, I’ve gotten sucked in all over again. As soon as I wake up I turn on coverage of Wimbledon. Then over lunch I peruse TLC’s The Baby Story. In the afternoon I switch over to Law and Order, with an occasional smattering of NYPD Blue or Judging Amy. In the evenings, I watch whatever is deemed appropriate for Ms. Janie.
The sad part is that—with the exception of Wimbledon—I don’t really care or enjoy the programs I watch. Instead, they are mostly time filler. And now that I’ve cleared off the desk and claimed it as a Janie-free zone, I have no more excuses: the TV has got to go. In fact, I had to turn it off midway through the first sentence of this entry because I just couldn’t think straight. And now I’ll never know if the gun manufacturer was convicted for negligence (or was it murder—I wasn’t watching very closely) when that guy killed those 15 girls in the park.
So now that I’ve turned off the television, what do I have to say? Hmm…
First off, I forgot what a delightful and wonderful friend Amy is. I met her for an after-work coffee today and we got all caught up. She always seems to be “in the know” about things I’ve just heard about—and there is no one better at listening to the most mundane details of my life with sincere interest. I’m so lucky to have her as a friend. I hope that we can spend more time together, now that I’m back in the area.
Second, I’m running out of space on my computer. I took several CD’s worth of stuff off the local drive this afternoon, but I’m still almost at my limit. Apparently, my music collection is the culprit, which leaves me with a small problem. I want to keep all my music on my hard drive, but I also need more space. Perhaps I should look into an external hard drive? I don’t really know anything about them, but they sound promising.
Third, I want to get my old book club up and running again. I miss being able to talk about the books I read with others, especially with the girls who used to participate. I’m sending out an invitation tonight.
Fourth, I want to start volunteering with a local organization. After my so-so experience with my last organization, I want to find a group where I can really contribute, but also a group that recognizes my abilities and really uses my contributions.
Fifth, I need to get over myself and apply for some other jobs. There are already two that I definitely need to follow-up with, and I’m sure there are others just lurking in my email inbox.
Sixth, I need some deep, introspective ideas to consider. Possible upcoming topics include:
• A written decision about my church membership.
• My newly discovered aversion to the idea of marriage.
• Why some friendships need to be kicked to the curb.
• Why some friendships need to be re-established.
Comments
As for your possible topic ideas, I have to say I am interested in all of them. Having recently started going back to church after a long break, I would like to hear your thoughts. Hey, maybe we could even have a conversation about it.
Posted by: La at June 30, 2005 07:12 AM
