Hey Sexy! Can I Have Your Attention, PLEASE
69Knock Knock Jokes Are About Like This
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Are We Listening?
Knock Knock, Who's There?
On any given day, are you rushing here and there, frustrated as you run errands and get family tasks completed? We're all so busy that we find ourselves forced to do many things at once just to make progress with our daily life's "do it now" list. "Hurry, hurry, hurry" is the chant in our head.
Seems like I'm never digging in one pile that I don't think I should be diggin' in another. If follows that I often end up with only pieces of things done, kind of like being an almost millionaire...well, I could be, except being poor takes all my time.
We're all there. It's not easy working 50 - 60 hour weeks or more, just to pay rent, utilities, and shop for clothing for the kids, paying $4.00 bucks a gallon for gas to get to where you need to be; who knows what's next.
Oh, I know "Europe Shmurup's" been paying that and more for years, blah, blah, blah. I get it. They also get a lot of bang for their buck, with socialized medicine, lots of paid vacation and sick leave, and government subsidies, so let's not cry them a river yet. I'm not bitter, but this is America not Europe and we can gripe about these increases puh-lease!!
I understand the world economy is a-changin' (largely due to bad decisions decades ago and currently by those who have more power than you and I) but, I don't intend to quietly purchase a bike to get around. I LIKE my car and they will take it away from me kicking and screaming along with my energy burning HD TV and don't touch that remote . Remember, I'm SPOILED.
Having said that, I want to talk about where our minds are. And, just for the record, I'm all about multi-tasking. During most of my parenting life, I was a parent of more than 6 in the house at one time; held more than one job, attended college classes in the wee hours of the morning, and was appointed the family ambassador as I carried on 4 conversations at once while answering the phone; emptying the dishwasher; wiping snotty noses; cooking dinner and settling teen disagreements as I skillfully dodged mysterious flying objects.
I can bring home the bacon and fry it up in a pan with the best of ‘em.
So, I can too walk and chew bubble gum at the same time. If you could picture yourself in all of the above, then you and I walk the same road.
However, driving to a new assignment at work this morning brought to mind that we, as neighbors, seem to be lacking in concentration skills
Being nosey, I noticed a car on my right, that had been behind me and was now flyin' high towards the upcoming red light. Having reached it ahead of me by about 10 seconds, I'm sure the young woman was satisfied she was making great progress. Paying great homage to multi-tasking, she had her head down and was either texting on her cell phone or dialing a 120 digit phone number.
The light turned green and I forged ahead by 20 yards, determined to not to be left behind. However, she was not as skilled at multi-tasking as she might have been because she lagged behind, head bent towards the phone in her lap.
The cars behind her laid on their horns; and once again, the race to the next red light was on. I was ahead, driving contentedly, when all of a sudden she passed me at great speed, still texting, and swerved into my lane missing me by at least 2 feet so where was the harm, right?
Being the patient person I am, I refrained from blowing the horn. But, I started thinking: lately, it seems to be really hard to get anyone's attention. Either nothing is important or everything's important, I'm not sure which, but
Here's where I'm at:
Could I Have Your Attention, Please!
- If you're at a red light putting on your make up or texting to your lover, Please Don't!
- If you're the cashier TOTALLY ignoring me while talking to your fellow employee as I'm waiting to prepay for the four dollar a gallon or more gasoline, PLEASE DON'T.
- If you're the person walking around in the store talking via the blue tooth that I don't notice at first and think you're either talking to me or are a crazy person, causing me to creatively dodge you, PLEASE DON'T.
- If you're the person driving next to me, and are so focused with your cell phone conversation or partner in the car that you don't notice that I'm on the road, PLEASE DO.
- If you're the server and forget I'm needing water or my ticket, because you're discussing with a co-worker your argument with your date the night before, PLEASE DON'T.
- If you're the person I'm trying to reach by phone, in a department store, but are so busy with stocking and walking at a snail's pace, PLEASE PICK UP THE PHONE.
- If YOU'RE the person who's been at the department store as a clerk for the last 5 years but still can't tell me where the toilet paper is or the Advil after I did a very creative dance to get your attention, PLEASE LEARN YOUR STORE and pay attention to me.
- If you're the person sitting at the counter as I walk up to you in an office where I have to be at the moment, MAY I HAVE YOUR ATTENTION PLEASE AND CAN YOU GIVE ME A SMILE!! I hate waiting 5 minutes and then being treated like I just interrupted you while you were having sex. I'm the customer, remember what that is?
- If you happen to be the doctor that I took time out of my day to go find out what's wrong with me, PLEASE DON'T leave me in your little tiny claustrophobic room for 3 hours!
- If you are the salesman, the secretary, the hostess-with-the-most-est, the teacher, the mom who's child has just said "mommy" over and over for 10 minutes without so much as a glance from you, if you are my spouse, someone's spouse, someone's friend or lover, CAN WE HAVE YOUR ATTENTION, PLEASE!
I fear we have lost the art to pay attention, to stop what we're doing for the moment, to listen, to connect, to really tune in and get the job done, the quality job - done right the first time.
It's rubbing off on me...last night the dog had to bark to get his bone, I said "Huh?" to my husband probably 6 times before I really took the time to hear him, and I ignored the cell phone as it rang (which is probably ok), even my cat tapped me on the shoulder for a hug.
To heighten my fear of losing my mind even more, I have a book on tape that I have now tried for 5 times to complete. I still can't tell you what it's about. As soon as the voice speaks in my ear I'm out like a light or in la la land, fighting great battles, slaying dragons, or maybe shopping, or writing that next great hub.
I just can't seem to pay attention, but puh-lease deliver me from being as distracted as those around me. Nope. Not me, surely not me.
Hello, is anyone there? Can we please just have a little concentration?
I've lost you already, you went to sleep didn't you?
CommentsLoading...
hahahaa you got it!! LOL Thanks for stopping by and reading and commenting...too funny. =)
Great hub, Marisue! I couldn't agree more! The simple life as we used to know it seems to only be a memory now. Sad, really!
Bonnie
Thanks Bonnie!! Yes, we are complicating ourselves right out of good service and relationships. In my business, service is everything, even more important than the price ( maybe in lots of businesses) so we stand and deliver when a customer walks in....you can't assume there's another one behind them...the economy is too fragile to lose one single customer to the competition.
Take it as gospel...you totally had my FULL attention while I was reading this hub!!! Too funny, Too true...so many great examples! I'm certain I've blessed and cursed the invention of the cellphone an equal number of times. ANd...your skills at writing phonetically....i.e., "Europe Shmurup"...now that's a skill I need to work harder on myself, envy here!
I have experienced a number of the situations that you describe.
Wonderful job of giving people a wake up call!
Carol
Why are you reading my comment? The kids are fighting, the dishes are piling up, the book on tape needs to be flipped, the cell phone and land line are both ringing, three of the kids have permission slips that they've had for two weeks but need to be returned tomorrow, the dog needs to go out, and both the kitty and your husband need hugs!
Great hub!
Hi Desert Blondie!! Good To See You - and we are all in the middle of distraction on any given day, yes? LOL
Cvaughn Thanks so much for reading - I am what I've criticized and therein lies the humor!!!
tom, life is chaotic...even the peace I have now is interrupted with my own chaos I'm ashamed to admit !! LOL I look back in awe with all I used to accomplish as I have trouble finding time to cook and clean or dog and kitty talk!! Thanks for reading!!!
Hi Marisue, this was real... hello, hey! I was saying I really enjoyed th... Marisue? Marisue!, M?! Thank you! I like the hub, and was gonn... Hello! HELLO!!! Geez! You're 'tarded, right? ADD? No, no. I wouldn't want to bother you! I was just saying, this a great hub, I really lik... M?!!! Marisue? Marisue? HEY!!!
Oh Forget it! I forgot what I was going to sa.... NOW what are you doing!?!?
I find that paying too much attention makes me remember how little I want to be associated with 85% of everyone else out there anyway =) Just kidding, people rule.
Nice comment Walker
Oh yeah I almost forgot, the Europe stuff is so true! They've got it easy, their high gas prices are probably the least of their worries. And now they've got us to go to war for them over it...
They won't be so complacent when the ocean's levels rise and most of their continent is underwater.
Thanks Jonno. And Europe? Yeah!... what HE said.
Constant, shut UP already, that is too funny, heeellllooo constant are you there??
Jonno I hear ya, there is a definite time for ignoring people LOL verrry true, thanks for reading and commenting and who in the world thinks we have to constantly be compared to Europe...it is getting so annoying. I love 'em but hey they are OVER THERE and we are OVER HERE. glug glug glug http://youtube.com/watch?v=cNFa-pLWunw
Creativita, you are one busy busy person and I hope you slow down a bit so you don't have a heart attack!! I've read your hubs...you are on top of all things written!! What an example, I could never write as much as you but I try...LOL, thanks for reading and commenting here!!!
Oh man, I love old movies! I wish I had cable, I'd see what's on TCM today. James Cagney is THE MAN! And what a looker ooh la la
I hate war, but I love old war films. Is this weird?
Jonno, i do too, i love old anything anymore...I guess that means old age and gray hair just show you've been somewhere, right? please tell me that's right? old war films were so patriotic, you wanted to stand up and salute. Rah Rah America Now all we do is criticize our mother country.
Oh this is too too good mariesue! Amen and hallelujah. As a full time CSR I took about 120 calls a day---for 6 years. In my 7th year now and part-time, it's still hard, especially when 80% of what I listen to is rage and vulgarity. But I think people wouldn't be so vulgar and enraged if they didn't have to do six things at once instead of one, and if they didn't get ignored when they needed something by other people doing 6 things instead of one.
I was sent to a 'focus group' at corporate today for feedback on our 'work environment' and also for our ideas for the company. Usually an invite like this means you are a hair away from being fired if you don't start grinning and shuffling and quick too, but this one seemed semi-genuine.
The biggest complaint amongst us serfs? Being coerced into working off the clock because of job requirements that can't be filled because they have designed our working minutes so we are 'on task' or more like on multiple tasks, every single second. It's brutal, and EVERYONE at the bottom routinely puts in about two hours a week for free, just to complete required paperwork and not get fired.We are hourly workers, not on salary, and the hourly wages are not good. I pointed out that this practice is illegal and that several large corporations have recently lost law suits over this in spite of the anti-labor political environment.
God I hope that gets me fired.
It won't though. They paid too much to train this monkey to do all this crap at once to let me off that easy.
Great hub! Sorry to go on so long--maybe I should go on in another one of my own. Oh, and very sexy too!
Jonno, Cagney? C'mom! Cary Grant put him to shame, and funny too!
Marisue, definitely, grey/silver hair is awesome. I say that because mine is FULL of silver, haha. I'll never lose any, thanks to my Iroquois blood, but it sure is silvering-up fast. Truth be told, I really do kinda like it.
You picked a very real problem with today's society. Our attention is scattered and/or very self-centered. We don't seem to give a hoot about anyone else. Common courtesy has become very uncommon. If it were an animal, we could get it put on the endangered species list.
You lost me half way thru! :)
Dj... Funny!
Half way through what?
Dj, too funny, you got the point,HUH? LOL
John, you are so right and if I did to my customers what many people do to me when I'm THEIR customer, I wouldn't have a paycheck. I LIKE my paychecks, so we give good attention to our customers. No Job is guaranteed!
Constant, gray is good, shows wisdom and longevity. =)
pgrundy LOVED your comments. You are so right, and corporate can not overload you with work, gripe at you not finishing it, and then not pay you for the hours it takes. Yet, they get by with it cuz we all need our jobs. Still it's a hostile environment and that's illegal too. You were very right to point that out and if they fire you, an attorney will help you climb to the top if their board with your name on the door.
LOL thanks to all of you for reading and commenting. You're the best and sooooo smart.
DJ and Constant you guys are gonna be in trouble....
Silver... grey is kinda dull. Silver!
Marisue thank you for writing what I seem to be thinking about people in the service industry, Great hub!
Service that word, should say it all, but so many people think of it as a clock in and out job, leaving happy to see you at the door. We are not "entitled" to our jobs, our customers ARE entitled to good service....and that carries over to driving, family, etc. thanks so much for reading and commenting!! we all seem to be on the same page. pardon the pun..
constant....silver hair and golden needles, cannot mend this heart of mine....
o wait that was silver threads and golden needles...
... On the same page about what?
What? Someone threaded their hair with silver and gold needles? I don't get it! Wait! I've gotta answer this...
Yeah, I am not sure anymore if I want someone undevided attention anymore. I would much rather them just give me whatever and get out of my way. No really, it's like that. Great hub!
x's
sandra
Well, that's a hell of an attitude!
What if everybody felt that way? It would be anarchy! The satanists and the punk-rockers would take over everything! Then where would we all be?!
...Wait, what was the question?
constant you have no attention span....none, nada zip nada, LOL silver hair, threads needles I"m scared of needles in any color.
to be or not to be...that is the question
sandra, thanks for joing my fan club....you are right, sometimes i'm in a hurry and that's what makes me mad when i don't get good service. I AIN'T got time for this stuff LOL good to see u on my hub page!!!
About what? And what does that have to do with colored needles? What, regular needles aren't good enough any more? Now we need "designer needles"! I don't get it! Who's attention span are we talking about, Jonno? I know... the boy ain't right!
M, check out this bitchin' looking blog page!: http://constantwalker.wordpress.com/the-genius-of-
Constant, your decongestants are getting to you....I like designer anything. Jonno's attention span is running 2nd only to yours. in the zip nada department You boys have lost it. We Women RULE.
Attention about what? Is Jonno wearing designer jeans again?
Wow, you are one creative writer. All excellent points. If I could remember them. But seriously. Count me guilty of multi-tasking and doing about 50% on each "job" that I am attempting to complete. The more that is on my plate, the less attention I am giving to each task. Remember the good old days when we had to deliberately walk across the room to answer the phone, change the channel, slowly cook dinner in the oven or on the stove, etc.? Maybe technology isn't all for the good after all.
Hi marisuewrites That is my life to a T! or at least it was until a couple of years ago. but don't go all American on me. We have the same problems in South Africa. Our fuel price is through the roof R11.00 a litre for diesel R10.00 for unleaded (a USD is worth about R8.00). this is pretty steep for us, bearing in mind our earning capacity is about R1 for every dollar you earn. this will give you will get some idea of our dilemma.We have no public transport system to speak of. Our shop assistants can chew gum converse in loud voices with a colleague halfway across the room and ignore you too. Some multitasking! Then there are the waitrons at restaurants who have the ability to look at you and ignore you at the same time. Men shaving in traffic, woman putting on makeup, both adjusting and using the rearview mirror to do so, simultaneously holding the cell in the crook of their necks. Even more remarkable when you consider most of our cars are stick shifts!
Great hub resonates!
What a way to start my day! You really made me laugh, Marisue.
I am at odds with nearly all of you. As you know, Marisue, I am incapable of walking and chewing gum at the same time. Part of the reason is simply some kind of lack I have, but another part is choice.
A long time ago I recognized that if I didn't focus completely on one thing at a time, the one thing would never get done to both time and quality. For any of you who are programmers, you know what I mean. When you are in the middle of writing code and get distracted, it takes time to retrace the interruped thought process once you resume the writing. This time is never recovered. And if you are working on a deadline, one of two things will happen: you will meet the deadline, but with a poor product, or you will fail to meet the deadline, but you will have a quality product.
Multi-tasking and the resulting inability to pay focused attention to any one task lead directly to poor communication and poor performance. This state of our condition seems to be more accepted (with underlying anger) than challenged (with constructive improvement).
You had my attention, Marisue. 100 percent!
I should think the taped book deal is cool listening to the narrator while you dream puts you right in the middle of the action.
I like to do that with reruns of movies that are premering, for the 100th time; on TV. Only in my sleep as I listen; I get to be the hero, the preditor, the cop the car, and wake up sooooooo refreshed.
Great Hub, and thanks for calling me sexy, I needed that.
Good Job marisuewrites!
New Day - thanks so much for reading and commenting and for the compliment, music to my egotiscal ears...time crunches force us to go fast and I admire Sally's Trove for being so disciplined to slow down and listen/read the first time... I WANNA BE LIKE HER. I think you're right about technology, it sure has created its own problems. sigh.
Sixyorso!! I'm so glad you commented and made us aware that our own economy is not in isolation with it's struggles. Please continue to write about South Africa as I am very interested in its resources and the lifestyle of your countrymen. I hope in the future the US will help open more economical doors between our country and yours. That might help us both if we can keep China from taking more than their share and not paying for it. America needs a president and congress needs to wake up to the global economy; making decisions that protect us and Africa!! I'm very concerned about what I read lately.
Do you have any input you could share?
Sally's Trove, you are so diligent in your travel to the links I gave you and it is much appreciated. I sit at your feet learning from you regarding concentration and many other aspects of business and writing, Did I say thank you?
DJFunktual: THANK YOU and I appreciate your reading and commenting...if you enjoyed it than that is success for me!! =) Come back soon
Hahahaha the crazy world we live in, don't we just love it anyway? :)
Well, marisue, were you able to get the attention now? Tee hee. huh,attention, what attention? Have a great day!
ripplemaker....yes we are in a crazy world and sometimes i'm as crazy as the ones I write about....we are always n the middle of our own pages I think.
thansk so much for reading...
Q: I just read DJ & Constant are gonna be in trouble. huh? had to know.
hehehehe.... that made me tired just reading about all that activity! Yes, where has all our attention gone??
Great Hub! You are a wonderful writer, your style really shines through!
Marisue, at our end of the world (pun intended) we take an avid interest in the USA. But I fear China is slowly but surely taking hold in Africa. Chinese interest have just bought about 30 percent ( several billion Rands worth) of one of our big 5 banks ( Standard bank). We fear the world wide spillover of the sub prime crisis. The USA is printing money and lowering interest rate and seemingly battening down the hatches to be an iconoclastic economy. We too have fuel, food and inflation eating away at our economy. We are expecting our Reserve bank ( equivalent of your Fed) to raise interest rates by a further 100 basis points ( one percent) bringing our prime lending rate to 18 %. If you look at my hub South Africa- Ouch you can see some of the other issues. India too is buying substantially into our economy with Telcom, cellular and motor manufacturing interests.
Thanks for responding to my comment.
sixtyorso -- that is what I'm reading and I so appreciate your enlightening comments... while we sleep ... I think China is becoming the giant Japan accused us of being in WWII (..."I fear we have awakened the Sleeping Giant" after they bombed Pearl Harbor) said Admiral Isoruku Yamamoto, http://www.theglobeandmail.com/special/attack/page
We are suffering from a complete lack of attention from the Bush Administration and Congress on this and many issues vital to our standing in the world economy. I hear over and over Chaney's comments "so?" when interviewed about Americans opinion on the Iraq War. That "so" has been their attitude on most everything except lining their own pockets with what I consider to be blood money. Even McCain said yesterday that the soldiers coming home wasn't "important." What part of "citizens' voice" do they not get?? All of it. I think another Hub is coming in my mind. I will go read your South Africa - Ouch hub.
=)
Dorsi, thanks for being such a loyal reader... and for enjoying my ramblings. I think daily life is the best entertainment of all, yes? LOL =)
Marisue! Thank you for telling it like it should be! My wholehearted agreement with all words spoken here. Obviously, with all the comments, somebody's paying attention! Rock on!
savannahEve, thank you so much for your comments. I guess we all should be paying more attention to life. I think sometimes I'm just running thru it. LOL This hub was sure talking to me as well....!! =)
"Oh yeah I almost forgot, the Europe stuff is so true! They've got it easy, their high gas prices are probably the least of their worries. And now they've got us to go to war for them over it..."
You sure?
I think Jonno was referring to the fact that Europe doesn't like us griping about gas prices cuz theirs is higher...but they get more for the gas taxes they pay...more services... not that that makes it right...but it does make it different. And no one can argue that Europe or France has little or no activity in the war but they sure enjoy the oil. I'll research where france get's their oil and I just read that 85% of our oil is from North America got to check that out!! Corruption abounds...
Another good one, Marisue. I probably should have read yours before I wrote mine the other day, could have saved myself some time. You already said it so well. Our society is so encapsulated now, we're so far away from each other, isolated in our automobile privacy pods and our more-than-arms-length Internet communication ways. I think Americans are not just in a hurry like you say, but distant and forgetting how to be civil anymore... lack of real world practice.
Thank you! Shades, what kinda scares me is I might becoming like "them" -- not listening...focusing lightly instead of really on what people are doing or saying around me...we use the world's noise as an insulator
we need to TUNE in. LOL I'm trying! thanks for reading I'll go read your hub as well. =)
cjcs 3 years ago
Huh? What? Did you say something?
:-)
I think we are "efficiency"ing ourselves into madness. Why pay workers an hour for lunch (and errands) if we can get them to swallow an energy bar in ten seconds...and still have them stay late? Think of all the money we'd save to pay our vainglorious CEO and members of the board?
I remember back in the 60s when there was talk of how all of our labor-saving devices were going to give us so much leisure time that we'd only work a 20-hour week. Yeah, right. I blame the bean counters so intent on making us atomatons, and us for taking it. If they'd pay me fairly and hire a few more workers, we'd all be more rested, more efficient, and we wouldn't have to bloody multi-task. Then again, maybe we're just lazy.
CJ