March 12: Interruptions

Today, my day started at 1 a.m. My sleep was brutally interrupted with my daughter being sick to her stomach. My daughters often interrupt my life in various ways. They may interrupt the show that I am watching with a story, a song, a dance, a "hey, look at me, mom". Another way that they interrupt is through my conversations with their dad, with my sister on the phone, or even just my own thoughts as I am making dinner. They even interrupt each other when one of them is taking to me.

I can interrupt like no other, or so my husband says so. When I think of something, I just want to go ahead and say it. My mom and I had the best kind of interruptions on the phone. We interrupted, and sometimes we even each told a story at the same time. Somehow, it worked. I heard her, and she heard me. Interruptions were not a big deal to us, or even considered rude. My husband, on the other hand, does not think it is the best way to play out a conversation.

During the work day, I can get interrupted as well. It may come with an email, someone popping in the office, or even my own train of thoughts. I can be on one train, let's say making a test, and then, I look up a graphic, and 15 minutes later, I am no longer making a test but looking at 17 different infographics. Sometimes my sporadic brain loves this, and I even email myself other ideas thanks to my journey on a tangent. Other times, I just never finish making the test. haha.

If we can have this many interruptions naturally, why would we not think that the phone would cause a whole pile of interruptions, or rather a huge mountain that chases us? In my case, it is the blinking green light. I have my phone on silent, which also drives my husband batty, but how are you supposed to have sound going off in my numerous meetings all day long? (see tangent) Anyway, so the blue light, it does nothing for me. It is not a real message, not a text, not a tweet. The green light means an actual person that knows me has tried to contact me. It can interrupt me no matter how hard I am working. It is the constant glancing down. Why do we do that? If I am truly in a good conversation or truly working without interruptions, I can ignore it. I need to more often than I do, but now, work is on the phone as well. The green light calls to me, beckons, invites me, "Mary, you have a message! Check me. Text him/her back. The person is waiting, Mary. You know you want to know what I say, Mary. I am so important, more important than what you are doing. Check me."

I think interruptions, at least when it comes to the two cute faces at my house, they are totally worth it. I will miss those interruptions, and I need to memory make them. At work, I told you my interruptions can lead to a great idea, but sometimes, they just delay work. As for the phone, there is a green light button, and maybe I just need to turn that off. Check my phone once an hour and return to my work. Or, maybe I am just more cognizant--thoughtful, which word should I use? Why do I have to question which word to use? the curse of an English teacher-- about interruptions. (I hope you got my joke there).