Multi-tasking, Good for Us?

Over the last few months, I've been involved in several conversations regarding multi-tasking. We all do it. Washing dishes while talking on the phone. Checking e-mail or surfing the web while watching t.v. while talking on the phone. Talking on the cellphone while driving while listening to music.

First, a confession. I am a big multi-tasker. It is hard for me to do only one thing at a time. I find that I just can't sit on the sofa and chat on the phone. I have a cordless phone so that means I can do lots of other things while talking on the phone, e.g., wash the dishes, clean up the kitchen, throw a load of laundry in the washer, check my e-mail and on and on.

When and how did our society get to a place where the "norm" is to do more than one thing at once? Why do employers now expect most employees to do the job of 2.5 people? There was a time when employees would be recognized, and often rewarded, for giving more than 100% to their job. These days, it's expected and often taken for granted that an employee will give 200% to their job. We all know people who work long hours daily and often continue to do work at home when they finally do go home. What have we gotten ourselves into? And the better question: why have we fallen for this scam? We certainly are not compensated for the additional duties. And an even better question: What is all this multi-tasking doing to our lives? What is the toll that this is taking on our health?

I've been home in Pennsylvania for the last month. As I prepared for my trip, I made sure to pack my laptop (and its cord), my cellphone (and its adapter), my portable scanner (and its cord), my ipod (and its cord) along with clothes for at least a month. See, I've got to be totally connected.

Since leaving Texas, I've been away from the majority of "my things." That being the case, it's hard for me to do my usual multi-tasking. I actually find myself sitting and only doing one thing at a time. Today I sat on the porch and talked on the phone and did nothing else but stare at the beauty that is Pennsylvania in the summer. It was relaxing and refreshing. In my sister's house where I am staying, there is no television in the living room where I spend the majority of my time. As a result, I've watched very little television in the month I've been here. At home in Texas, the television is always on, even if just in the background. I find that as the weeks go on, I'm no longer missing the noise (and distraction) of television. I'm seriously considering getting rid of cable when I return to my home. I find that I'm able to concentrate more on my studies and that my mind is "stilled" much more than it is at home.

Maybe I'm on to something. Maybe all this multi-tasking is not good for the soul, the spirit.

How do we stop the violence?

I've been in Pennsylvania visiting my ailing father for a month. It seems that nearly every day, there is a shooting incident involving teens and young adults. Two weeks ago, a young man who just graduated from high school and was heading to college next month was shot and killed by two 17 year-old twins s because he would not give them his father's car. This was a good kid, star athlete and student who was simply picking up his girlfriend's cousin to take to a baseball games. A friend just returned from the funeral of another good kid who was shot in random violence in Philadelphia. I'm sure you can change the name of the city and of the victim and repeat this story for almost every major city in the country.

What's wrong? Why do our children see violence as the answer, as the solution to everything? Some say that they don't value life, neither theirs nor their victims. Others say that it's the result of a violent culture evidenced by video games, violent movies and videos and even rap music. Still others say that our children learn violence in the home. Many parents still think it appropriate to whip or spank their children, despite numerous studies that talk about the message hitting sends to young children. We slap or hit our children for something they've done "wrong," yet we act surprised when they hit Little Johnny when Little Johnny doesn't do something they want him to do.

And it's just not teenagers and young adults who are doing the killing. Men are killing their wives AND their children, and often then kill themselves.

What do we do? How can we stop the madness, the violence?

Honey, I'm Home!

Well, I keep starting and stopping both a blog and a journal. I don't really suffer from adult attention deficit disorder, but it sure feels like it sometimes. Perhaps that's because it seems my life continues to stop and start.

Who am I? Well, that's a long story. The shorter version is that I'm a woman who, after going through some great, and depressing, changes in her life the last five years, has decided to step out there on faith and do something completely different.

For more than 25 years, I worked as an IT professional. Though I was good at what I did and it more than paid the bills, I never felt the field was my passion. Nonetheless, being a single mother of two sons, I continued to work in the field - to my detriment. I got seriously burned out. I had a job that went from the best job I ever had to the job from hell. For the first time in my life, I had to seek therapy. I returned to work after three months off and was riffed!! I was out of work for seven months and still perservered in the thinking that the IT field was the field in which I should be working. I secured a new job which, again, was a dream job. Three months into the job, the management changed and I ended up with a boss who was a micro-manager to the max! After three years, I took leave under FMLA and guess what? Yep, riffed again after five minutes in the door. I neglected to say that this job loss occurred five months after buying a home and two months after my youngest son completed his first year of college.

Yep, stubbon me, I immediately began looking for another job in the same field. Though I sent out literally hundreds of resumes, and was immensely qualified and educated, I went on a total of a whopping five interviews in 18 months.

Finally, I decided to stop and take a look at my life and the direction in which I was heading. My therapist encouraged me to take a self-directed test to see where my talents lie. I should add here that over the years, I've taken numerous tests and they've ALL said that I should be doing something that exploits my artistic talents and passion. Though I began writing more (and started a novel), I paid little heed to these suggestions.

After 18 months of unemployment, I decided to take the leap and step out there on faith. I decided to do a complete career change and pursue a career in interior design. In May, I enrolled in a residential planning program with the Art Institute of Pittsburgh. When I complete this program, I will be qualified to be a residential planner and/or a kitchen designer. It is my goal to complete this program and continue on to obtain the B.S. in Interior Design. I want to specialize in French Country Design and in kitchen design.

And I'm off!