MULTI-TASKING

Multi-tasking seems to be the order of the day! I keep observing people doing two and three things at once. Some people are so dumb they can hardly walk and chew gum. Now people are constantly proving how smart they are. They can not only walk and chew gum, but talk on a cell phone. I've seen people talk on the cell phone while driving! Even though statistic show, you can get in an accident, maybe kill somebody. People have been seen driving, talking on a cell phone and doing their makeup and hairdo. Others can drive, read a map and down a Mac! I steer clear of them, but it makes me nervous knowing they are on the road, on the map.

I can ride my bike and listen to Yo Yo Ma playing Bach with my sound-reduction headphones. That's two things; I don't want to do much more than that, although while riding and listening to Bach I do admire venerable trees and beautiful gardens. That's three things, I guess. While doing these three things I saw a young mother getting her exercise, walking fast, pushing a kid on one of these exercise strollers with bicycle wheels, having an animated conversation on a cell phone. The kid, he must have been about two, had a dazed expression on his face, jaw dropped, wondering what was propelling him. How could she do all that? She must be pretty smart and on the cutting edge to be doing three things at once like that. When the kid grows up, he will be able to do four.

I've seen other people do three things at once--- walking, talking (on the cell phone) and taking a swig of bottled water. Lots of people now are drinking bottled water, right out in public, in front of everybody, even though there's plenty of water on tap at home. Lots of people have been brainwashed by the bottled water industry to think it is healthy to drink 8 glasses of water a day. Not only that, but not to drink 8 glasses of water a day is unhealthy. Your body could build up toxins. What next? I've learned the bottlers of naturally pure mountain spring water get it right out of the tap. What a racket! But people like to show how smart they are. They are walking, talking and drinking water, all at once!

Just to show I can be a nonconformist, whenever I can I do only one thing at a time. For example, I am writing this and not doing anything else, not walking, talking or chewing gum. And sometimes I do nothing but meditate and not even write. I think about the world situation and wonder if I can do anything about it. I decided I couldn't, no matter how bad it was. I try to think about the good things in my life and that makes me feel better. Doing that one thing is very relaxing, very gratifying. But then again, it could be that I'm not that smart.