Beach Balls and Distractions

Have you ever watched kids in a deep pool trying to catch beach balls? The kids bob in the water, doing that jump-hop-swim we all seem to learn when we have to stand on tippy-toes to keep our head above the water. Beach balls bob in the water, just out of reach. Little fingers touch the wet surface, almost… almost close enough to get a firm grip. Instead, the ball rolls… twists… floats away. Maddened, the little ones throw themselves through the water, but a wave precedes them and the ball is pushed further away, dancing on the water’s surface in the most mocking manner.




Even if the child is lucky enough… skilled enough… to catch the ball, holding on to it becomes just as much of a problem as catching it in the first place. So often, the ball will continue to roll in the child’s hands. Wet fingers struggle to keep their grip on a ball to large for their little hands. Maybe they try to pull the ball down under the surface of the water, to use their bodies to hold it under. The ball invariably rolls out from under their belly, tossing them into the water and escaping once again. The children squeal with glee, and the game begins all over again.



Finding a thought, holding a thought, has become very similar to that game for me lately. I am not squealing with glee. Even the simplest thoughts: “I need to take a shower”, “The dishes need to be done”… they float away from my grasping mind. Every time I try to follow through on a thought, my mind shies away and I am left with nothing.



So I distract myself. I catch myself with the TV on, playing games online, and reading a book with my crocheting in my lap. Evidently it takes a lot to distract my mind.



Multi-tasking. I does it good.