Blog 551 – 02.20.2017

Attention Deficit Disorder

ADD was the old acronym and I think the new one is ADHD for Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. If I am am not careful I will offend a lot of people with my opinions regarding the naming of diseases. But those of you who really know me know me to be one of those fools who rush in where angels fear to tread sort of guys. Here goes. I think it is a big mistake to name things like diseases, ailments, conditions because just like naming farm animals it turns them into pets and makes them harder to kill. I heard a beloved preacher say of being raised by his grandparents in rural West Virginia during the Great Depression that they did not know they were “poor” till they heard it on the radio. Great Depression, there is one of those names that proves my point against naming things. t was not “great” and it made people even more depressed after it was named. I believe in most if not all cases names for diseases are invented so we will believe they are real and talk our doctor in to prescribing some also invented magic pills with other made up names to treat the named disorder. The manufacturers of the pills even warn us of a host of other things that taking these pills may cause that are even worse than the disease or disorder real or imagined that they are designed to treat.

But pointing out what I believe to be a great problem with our sickness industry was not what I really wanted this piece to be about. Attention Deficit Order is really what people used to call a short attention span. A lot of us have that and do not make it better by failing to attempt to stretch our attention span. Tweeting and texting and communicating in acronyms does not help. Reading books does, watching long movies and series shows does as well. Also doing things like going for long walks and spending time out in nature help too. Things like sitting around a campfire, playing long lasting table games and cards with friends, all these things stretch our attention spans and make us better friends, able to listen to long stories that friends need to tell us and we need to listen to in order to know what our friend is going through. Friendship, true friendship, requires large investments of time and attention and to be able to make those investments we need to stretch our attention span.

Attention Deficit Disorder is treatable and curable but not with drugs but with exercise. It is natural for children to display attention deficit and to act hyper. Children need lots of fun activities and lots of focused attention. Don’t we all. There is a child in all of us that longs for attention. Being given attention we learn attention. One of my primary motivations for writing is that I want to give you my undivided attention. For many years I have dreamed of a land outside the limits of time and space where I could sit with friends one on one and just visit for what would be a thousand years or so. Have you ever felt like that? Those of us who have out lived a parent, a child, or a close friend or family member can tell you how much we long for a nice long visit with the loved and lost with no time constraints.

When you really care about somebody time can seem to stand still as you focus your undivided attention on the beloved. Hours slip by like minutes. One of the most remarkable things about the ministry of Jesus was his complete focus on the individual. I am sure that he made everyone he spent time with think like John that they were indeed, “The disciple that Jesus loved.” That focus, that incredible attention span spoke to love, to divinity and it still does wherever and in whomever we find it.

ADD or Attention Deficit Disorder is a made up disease to excuse our not taking the time and giving the proper attention to others and to ourselves. Babies cry for attention, children act out to get it, older folks gripe and complain trying to get it. Sadly the quick fix is pablum, a pill, or neglect in many cases. Living and loving takes time and makes time. I love a little song that says over and over, “Wasting time with you.” Some may see these blogs as an incredible waste of time. But I see them as a great investment that will bring a great dividend in the lives of many friends.

Your friend and fellow traveler, yours for longer attention spans,

David White

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