The Art of Distraction…

Or possibly driving me to it if the phrase is anything to go by. I recently met a man who is potentially the most distracting person I have ever encountered. No, not in the way you think. There is no crush, no crazy lusting or other feeling skewing my vision. This is plain, platonic, distraction i.e. his every word, movement and habit totally distract me from whatever I happen to be doing at the time – which is usually concentrating on some tricky problem – and not in a pleasant manner.

First of all, when he answers his mobile phone, he walks around the office speaking very loudly on his phone, almost in the style of Trigger Happy TV, calling attention to himself and the brilliance of his conversation. It is almost like ‘look at me, I’m so popular, someone phoned me’ – wow. So I get concentration bleed i.e. I end up typing his conversation rather than what I’m attempting to concentrate on.

Secondly he eats all day long, at his desk, hot food. Yes and it smells. Seriously, where does he put it all? Aside from the constant waft of hot food and breakfast rolls (bacon sandwich aka the vegetarian’s downfall anyone?) it is very distracting when someone talks to you with their mouth full all day and constantly sweeps crumbs off the desk onto you.

Thirdly? Well he is one of those frantic movers. You know the ones. Every movement is faster than it needs to be, and it makes me jump! Yes it might sound like a moaning session but I have never before met anyone who is capable of distracting me with every movement and sound they make. As a character study it is extremely valuable, so I may well moan about it but it has its plus sides too and I am filing it all away for some future character. Art imitates life.

Elloise Hopkins.