(Jan ‘26) It’s a random weekday, one of the first in this new year, and I find myself sitting slightly reclined in a dentist’s examination chair. After the traditional introductory questions and X-rays, the hygienist, T, has me in her grasp, right where she wants me: starting the silent wait for the dentist that will last…well…however long it will last.
“Do you want the tv on?” “No, thank you,” I respond.
As I stare straight ahead and relax into her silent clutch, my mind starts to speed up to its calm, creative pace. I’m excited to start this publication. I hope people enjoy the concepts. Taxes are coming; don’t file too early like last year; wait for all financial docs to come in through February. I need to schedule an oil change for my car. Why have I put that off for so long?? Should I get a new car? Do I NEED a new car? No, waste of money. Focus…
Focus on what? Focus on being productive: create more, consume less. Has anyone else realized when they go on apps to be creative and produce content, you end up consuming more than creating? Gotta love that. But it’s okay, right? We aren’t completely losing our ability to focus; it’s just been reduced to 8 seconds or less. Still totally acceptable for humans living in a globally-intertwined existence with screens in our faces from alarm app snooze to alarm app setup. I wonder if people are still making “New Year, New Me” resolutions. I need to work out again; tomorrow is a day, so that is usually a good time to workout. Focus…
Focus on what? Kids going back to school now that the new year is here. I remember that from my childhood. After the holidays, going back to school always felt like a fresh start to how my persona was received by my friends. Every new year and new grade I felt like I could reset and polish the person I wanted to be. I think I’ll take that same concept with me as January 2026 rolls on. I want to keep polishing-
“You okay?” asks T. “Yes, thanks T,” I say as she snaps me out of my thoughts.
I opted for the tv to remain off, to limit external noise. Turns out, sometimes the internal noise is just as transportive. Focus is a nice goal, but having a healthy outlet for the noise is focus in action. That’s what I’ll set my sights on for 2026. Maybe the dentist went out for lunch…