Tuesday, May 3, 2011

A complex mind

I love those moments when you have an epiphany on your own craziness.  Especially when it runs in the family.

My evening started with a nice, long chat with my mom.  We talked about things from an update on her husband who has been in the hospital (doing very well & going home tomorrow) and progress on prepping the Wisconsin house for sale, to the currently heated office politics at my office and what our thoughts are on the politics of the US and our latest big headline - Osama Bin Laden.  An extremely well rounded, substantial conversation with many other important and meaningful subjects in between.  All the meanwhile, I have checked the mail, unpacked my belongings, made and eaten dinner, cleaned up the kitchen, watered my plants, and done a survey of things around the house and had internal dialog on subjects besides our conversation on multiple occasions.  All while never skipping a beat.

We started to talk about dreams and I learned that my mom never remembers hers.  So I gave her a homework assignment to have a conversation with herself before she goes to sleep telling herself she will remember.  (An exercise I see suggested in many texts about dreams).  She replies, "well that will be hard; I always put on a DVD and fall asleep."  This leads into a discussion about spending idle time with our thoughts.  She eventually admits that the only time possible is while having a smoke, but that is still doing something. This I do understand, though, being an ex-smoker.  Two years ago when I quit I realized this inability to be alone with my thoughts by taking that "down time" away.  Whenever we stop and sit and look off into the middle distance, our brains hit hyper speed.

We both agreed that we prefer to constantly be engaged.  Always productive and entertained.   

While working, if I am doing data entry or QC, I have to tune into something else to focus on like a podcast or audio book.  When she is watching a movie, she is also doing paperwork or something physical.  When I was on the phone, I did a ton of things.  I spouted off my list and she gave one equally long right back to me!

I assessed the few activities in which I can focus completely and not feel the need to tie in somewhere else: conversation, gardening, yoga, painting, cooking, sorting/organizing, cleaning/redecorating, reading a book (with pages), and shopping.  While, done alone, watering the plants, listening to a podcast or audio book, watching TV or a movie, laying out, riding a bike, walking, or running, just don't keep my brain engaged and I go off into day dreaming or over analyzing.  Basically, I need to be working with my hands while simultaneously analyzing to avoid going crazy.   Thankfully, I now have a bluetooth and can gab away on the phone - keeping myself fully engaged when doing the latter activities on my own.  Thanks, Mom!  Genius!


Tonight we discovered: The complex minds of Morgan and Mary Lou must always be focused on at least two points of reference. 
 Creation + Analyzing = a satisfied mind.



The human mind is so amazing how we are all wired in different ways.  Our thought processes are unique based on our environments and gene pools.  Are there just a handful of "thinking types."  For example, is this part of the classification of Type A?  And if so, what are the other types and what keeps them engaged?  Does any of this sound familiar to you?  

1 comment:

  1. You said "I have checked the mail, unpacked my belongings, made and eaten dinner, cleaned up the kitchen, watered my plants, and done a survey of things around the house and had internal dialog on subjects besides our conversation on multiple occasions. " While you were talking I made and at my dinner, sorted through my utensil drawer. Moved a box to be taken out, emptied the trash, switched a load of clothes to the dryer." You are your mother's daughter.
    I was very surprised that you have noticed my practice to touch my thumb to my ring finger while I am listening to someone to remind me there is something I want to say - thought no one noticed. So now we will have to watch each other's hands or ask "where's your thumb" when we are on the phone. Loved your analysis Mom (since I don't understand the "comment as" function.

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