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So much for that plan

TINA COMEAU tina.comeau@saltwire.com @TinaComeauNews

Sometimes it's a little concerning how distracted we are at times.

Or maybe about just how much of our lives are on autopilot.

Do you ever have this experience? You drive somewhere and when you get there you honestly don't remember much of the drive at all? Probably because you've done the drive hundreds or thousands of times before so it doesn't stick out, especially if it was noneventful.

Still, sometimes – even though I know that I was paying attention at the time – I find myself wondering, did I even stop at the stop signs? How did I get here?

Like so many of you, I always have many thoughts racing through my mind.

I'm thinking about my family. I'm thinking about work. I'm thinking about things I need to do. Heck, I'm even thinking about whether I need to buy more cat food.

There are so many thoughts swirling around it's amazing any more can fit inside my mind.

I especially hate when after working all day, I dream about work all night. I know they often say jobs are 24/7. Still, everyone needs a break.

And then there's being distracted versus not listening. I've been a storyteller my entire career. And, admittedly, when I'm telling a story to my husband or kids, sometimes it does take me a long time to get to the point because

I'm being too descriptive in my narrative, making sure I haven't left anything out.

Something that could take a few seconds to say will take a few minutes. It's a real drag when, after finishing, the answer to my story from them is, “What?”, or “Can you say that again, I wasn't listening.”

The second telling always leads to a more abbreviated version. I'll give them the benefit of the doubt – that there were distracted instead of not interested. LOL.

Still, being distracted can, from time to time, create amusing moments – like something that happened to me last week.

I really had to give my head a shake.

I needed to build up in the balance in one of my bank accounts. I only had $10 in it so it was of little use to me. I decided to transfer money from another account into it.

But from home I couldn't transfer the money. The way this other account is set up, I can't make transfers from it through my online banking. So off to the bank I drove to do it in person.

There were people in line so I headed to the ATM. I withdrew the money I needed from one account. And then I deposited it back into the ATM for the other account.

And then I left the bank and headed home.

As always on the drive home, I was thinking about work. I was thinking about my family. I was thinking of about 30 different other things.

But then I started thinking about the bank. I had this gut feeling.

I pulled over to the side of the road and checked the balance in my account.

Yep, still $10.

It's then I realized that not only did I drive to the bank to withdraw money from an account; but I drove to the bank, withdrew money from the account, and then proceeded to deposit the money right back into the very same account I just withdrew it from.

And then I got in my car and drove away.

Jeepers. I'd say that falls into that category of distraction I was talking about early.

Back to the bank that I drove to try this once again.

Not only was I distracted that day, but now I got to expericence déjà vu too.

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2022-05-11T07:00:00.0000000Z

2022-05-11T07:00:00.0000000Z

https://saltwire.pressreader.com/article/281582359220030

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