Recently, I was diagnosed with A. A. A. D. D. – =
Age-Activated Attention Deficit Disorder. This is an example of how this =
condition manifests itself:
I decide to water my garden.
As I turn on the hose in the driveway, I look over at my =
car and decide my car needs washing.
As I start toward the garage, I notice that there is mail =
on the porch table that I brought up from the mail box =
earlier.
I decide to go through the mail before I wash the =
car.
I lay my car keys down on the table, put the junk mail in =
the trash bin under the table, and notice that the bin is =
full.
So, I decide to put the bills back on the table and take =
out the trash first.
But then I think, since I’m going to be near the mailbox =
when I take out the garbage anyway, I may as well pay the bills =
first.
I take my checkbook off the table, and see that there is =
only one check left. My extra checks are in my desk in the study, so I =
go inside the house to my desk where I find the can of soda that I had =
been drinking.
I’m going to look for my checks, but first I need to push =
the soda can aside so that I don’t accidentally knock it over. I see =
that its getting warm, and I decide I should put it in the refrigerator =
to keep it cold.
As I head toward the kitchen with the Coke, a vase of =
flowers on the counter catches my eye: They need to be =
watered.
I place the Coke down on the work surface, and I discover =
my reading glasses that I’ve been searching for all =
morning.
I decide I better put them back on my desk, but first I’m =
going to water the flowers.
I set the glasses back down on the work top, fill a =
container with water and suddenly I spot the TV remote. Someone has left =
it on the kitchen table.
I realize that tonight when we go to watch TV, I will be =
looking for the remote, but I won’t remember that it’s on the kitchen =
table, so I decide to put it back where it belongs, but first I’ll water =
the flowers.
I pour some water in the flower vase, but quite a bit of =
it spills on the floor. So, I set the remote back down on the table, get =
some towels and wipe up the spill.
Then, I head down the hall trying to remember what I was =
planning to do.
At the end of the day:
· =
The car =
isn’t washed.
The bills =
aren’t paid.There is =
a warm can of Coke sitting on the work =
surface.The =
flowers don’t have enough water.There is =
still only one check in my checkbook.I can’t =
find the TV remote.I can’t =
find my glasses and I don’t remember what I did with the car =
keys.
Then, when I try to figure out why nothing got done today, =
I’m really baffled – because I know I was busy all day long and I’m =
really tired. I realize this is a serious problem, and I’ll try to get =
some help for it, but first I’ll check my email.
Oh, no. I just remembered I left the water running . . =
.
~~
Dr =
Bob Griffin
[email protected] www.grif.net
"Jesus Knows Me, This =
I Love!"