It’s a bummer that I can’t do my two great loves at the same time: write and listen to tunes. It might surprise you to know that writing doesn’t come easy to me. Maybe it’s just how my mind works, but for me, coherent writing requires concentration and focus, and my best writing requires emotional presence.
The problem is, music affects me emotionally, and I simply can’t be emotionally connected to two things at once. Maybe others can, but I can’t. Of course, I can listen to classical or something else I’m not crazy about as background while I write, or listen to stuff I love and write garbage, but then, what would be the point?
Don’t get me wrong, I’m actually one hell-of-a multitasker, but only physical and logical tasks, nothing emotional.
When I watch a movie, I love immersing myself in the experience and detaching from reality. My wife is just the opposite; she likes to crack open her Macbook and do stuff at the same time. I can see her out of the corner of my eye and it just blows it for me. It drives us both crazy.
That actually explains a lot, like why I only cry at movies. Also why I can’t remember any of the films that came out when I was young. I saw them all on dates, and all I could focus on was trying to make a move on the girl next to me in the theater and, well, enough about that.
I know that’s probably strange. Come to think of it, I don’t know that. I’ve only been inside one person’s head; I have no idea how anybody else’s mind works. So tell me, am I weird? The bigger question is, aside from seeing a shrink, how can any of us know if there’s something really wrong with us?
Now it’s back to work on the book; Jane’s Addiction and Liz Phair will have to wait.
Image credit Brennan Degan via Flickr