Back to Basics

Money does not burn a hole in my pocket. Guess it’s safe to say that I am not a big spender. I know this is bad, but sometimes when I buy something new, I fear of it getting ruined; I need to work on that emotion and enjoy things.

Shopping in the U.S can be a real head scratcher. From big monumental purchases like buying a house or a basic everyday practical purchase like toothpaste can be overwhelming. Why?  Because we have soooo many choices. Have you noticed the oversupply of choices today in the market place? Next time you go to buy toothpaste, please think of me. Take a moment and look at the toothpaste isle and observe all the different brands, flavors, different promises, sizes, packaging, that each tube contains. Well, make it a quick observation because you’ll be there until Christmas if you take your time!

What’s my point? Whatever happened to the basics? What happened to simplicity? It’s amazing to have choices and options, and to have things available to cater to our needs and wants. But, have we gotten spoiled by all these choices? Have vast choices hurt our society in the long haul of things?

ADD (Attention Deficit Disorder) an attention disorder. I want to be sensitive to this issue and I am not making light of anyone who is impacted by ADD. Think back to the famous question: Is this nature or nurture? I think it would be interesting to ask that question when talking about ADD. Let’s keep talking, and I’ll ask this question again….stay with me.

Not only do we live in a society where we have so many choices, but we have so much entertainment. If I go out to dinner, I’ll notice children with their parents at another table. These children are watching movies on their portable laptops. New cars even have screens in them for movie watching; they didn’t have anything like that when I was growing up. My entertainment on road trips where counting how many red cars that passed us, and making sure I had my pillow so I could sleep.

I was in the doctor’s office last week (thanks to my first Bee sting! Ouch! But, I’m okay and thankfully not allergic!) and there were two men already in the waiting room. Typical waiting room behavior is….drum roll please…..waiting! You wait with a magazine. Not these fellows. They were taking care of business. They were on their phones….which today are like mini computers. They were returning e-mails, checking their schedules, and I think one may have just been playing a game or surfing the internet. It’s all a distraction. Distraction! Distraction! Distraction! What happened to the simplicity of just waiting?

When do people ever turn their minds off and just relax? I find that in moments like that (at the doctors where I am truly waiting for my name to be called) I like to go back to basics and just be.

Same thing happened when I went to the movies. This cute young couple was sitting a few seats down from me. I say they were a couple but I truly don’t know if they were a couple or just friends. Why couldn’t I tell if they were a couple or not? Because they were too busy gazing at their phone screen, then with each other. Basic body language and interaction has even changed.

Our minds are on overdrive with product purchases, entertainment overload, and keeping our professional and social circle so wide open, that anyone can get a hold of us…literally at any time and place. No wonder our focus is well…out of focus. It brings me back to the ADD question: Is it nature or nurture?

 Renewed Corner is about reflection; that is the intention with this topic. Reflect and think if this overload is impacting you. Maybe it will get you to think about ways you to improve your focus and come back to basics.