.On Meditation and Distractions

I work alone mostly. If you come to the store where I work, you can find me in the shop at the very farthest back corner of the store. Working quietly alone. Unaware of everything going on at the front of the store. Who else is working. What their jobs are. How many customers are shopping and what their questions are. I couldn't really tell you.

When I'm alone in the shop I turn down the volume of the 'store music' and work in the quiet. In my thoughts.

I like it that way.

When I'm helping customers it's the most communication I have at work some days. We pick out mat colors, pick a frame, glass, talk about mounting and preservation. They pay. Done.

I go back into the shop and work.

assemble frames

cut glass. cut mats. cut foam core.

clean glass

mount the customer's picture

put all the parts together

step back and view the beauty of a finished product created by myself

smile, and enjoy the feeling of accomplishment

clean

wrap it up

This process almost always goes off without a hitch for me while I'm working in my "meditation phase". I don't like a lot of distractions, so you can imagine how it is on days when I'm not alone in the shop. My coworkers are often making mistake after mistake as they work with the music blaring, talking endlessly. Mostly about things that I can't really relate to--like what happened at the club last night with their drunk boyfriend who they can't stand because blah $#&%! blah %$@#$ blah. I smile and nod... and sometimes tell them things that they find shocking.

Like that I don't drink.

From my observations at work so far, I find that this is how things go wrong. Frames get messed up and customers get really angry, simply because of these girls being too distracted by themselves.

Distractions are often what cause problems in my life. Maybe I'm just a horrible multi-tasker; but I can easily get distracted from doing the things that are the most important to me by doing stupid things with my time. Being with my love and taking care of him while he's been so sick lately is most important to me. Studying the gospel and meditating is important to me. Staying in touch with my family is important to me. Friendships are important to me. Sleep is important to me.

Speaking of sleep...