Thursday 19 April 2007

AGE ACTIVATED ATTEENTION DEFICIT DISORDER

RECENTLY, I WAS DIAGNOSED WITH AAADD - Age Activated Attention Deficit Disorder. This is how it manifests itself:

I decided to water my garden. As I turn on the hose in the driveway, I looked over at my car and decided my car needs washing. As I started toward the garage, I noticed that there is mail on the porch table that I brought up from the mailbox earlier. I decide to go through the mail before I wash the car.

I lay my car keys down on the table, put the junk mail in the garbage can under the table, and notice that the can is full. So I decide to put the bills back on the table and take out the garbage first. But then I think, since I'm going to be near the mailbox when I take out the garbage anyway, I may as well pay the bills first.

I take my check book off the table, and see that there is only 1 check left. My extra checks are in my desk in the study, so I go inside the house to my desk where I find a can of Coke that I had been drinking. I'm going to look for my checks, but first I need to push the coke aside so that I don't accidentally knock it over.

I see that the coke is getting warm, and I decide I should put it in the refrigerator to keep it cold. As I head toward the kitchen with the Coke, a vase of flowers on the counter catches my eye-- they need to be watered.I set the Coke down on the counter, and I discover my reading glasses that I've been searching for all morning.

Then I decide I better put them back on my desk, but first I'm going to water the flowers. I set the glasses back down on the counter, fill a container with water and suddenly I spot the TV remote. Someone left it on the kitchen table.

I realize that tonight when we go to watch TV, I will be looking for the remote, but I won't remember that it's on the table, so I decide to put it back in the den where it belongs, but first I'll water the flowers.I pour some water in the flowers, but quite a bit of it spilled on the floor.

So, I set the remote back on the table, get some towels and wipe up the spill, then, I head down the hall trying to remember what I was planning to do. At the end of the day:----the car isn't washed, ----the bills aren't paid,----there is a warm can of Coke sitting on the counter, ----the flowers don't have enough water, ----there is still only 1 check in my checkbook, ----I can't find the remote,----I can't find my glasses, ----and I don't remember what in the word I did with the car keys!

Then, when I try to figure out why nothing got done today, I'm really baffled, because I know I was busy all day long, and I'm really tired. I realize this is a serious problem, and I'll try to get some help forit, but first I'll check my e-mail.Do me a favour, will you? Forward this message to everyone you know, because I don't remember to whom it has been sent.

Don't laugh-- if this isn't you yet, your day is coming!!!Growing older is mandatory.Growing up is optional.Laughing at yourself is therapeutic.

P.S. I just walked outside and SOMEONE LEFT THE WATER RUNNING IN THE DRIVEWAY!!!! !!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!

2 comments:

DogLover said...

I also have AAADD, though my GP has never heard of it. My way of overcoming it is to ensure that I complete each task before going on to the three or four other things that I notice need doing while I am getting through the original task.

It does work. I find I complete one or perhaps two such tasks a day; no more because I have to lie down between each one, having no energy left. The doctor knows why this is, but is too polite to tell me I'm just a lazy git.

We have a hosepipe ban here, so my method is better than yours, R&C.

Doglover

Ashley said...

I can't wait to get AAADD becuase at least then I have an excuse. I say to you older lot to enjoy it!! I know I am already!!!

Now where did I leave that list of priority tasks?