Guard Against Stuff

I have Attention Deficit Disorder (inattentive type).  Or so my son's Dr. speculates.  We took our son to the Dr. last year because he has experienced increasing difficulties with paying attention in class.  The diagnosis was a long process.  We filled out surveys, his teacher filled out surveys. The Dr. spent 2 hours talking to Luke, his dad, and I.  At the end the Dr. said he has ADD inattentive type, it is very genetic.  Then the Dr. looked at me and said, "He gets it from you, you know."  Now that is not an official diagnosis, but it makes sense.  I can't listen to the radio, I have to be able to see the person talking.  I can't stay focused on non-fiction.  And I studied very little in college because I couldn't stay in my seat.  I got Bs so I didn't care about studying.  The Dr. says that made me an underachiever.

Perhaps it is my ADD that makes me so easily distracted by stuff.  I go to get my son a snack and see that the pantry has become disorganized.  I completely forget about my son's snack and start pulling all of the food out to organize it.  I go to put the calculator back and see my FIL's birthday card that needs mailed.  I go to the mailbox.  Worse yet I go to put the calculator away and see the computer and hop on to look at Pinterest, facebook, Joshua Becker's new blog post, BabyCenter... you get the picture.
 
Last week my husband announced in front of our 8 year old that he was planning on buying me an iPad this year.  I yelled, "No!"  I didn't want the 8 year old to get excited before I shot the idea down.  My husband was trying to be generous.  But there is a reason I don't own a tablet or a smart phone.  I tried to explain it to my son.  This is what I told him. 

I want to spend time with you and Brother and Daddy.  If I had an iPad I wouldn't take you to the park as much.  I wouldn't read to you at the Dr.'s office.  I wouldn't talk to Brother while we sit in the car waiting for you to get out of tutoring. I don't want to be one of those people always looking down at their device.  Living with less has become a way to guard myself against distraction, just like a fence guards you from the street. I don't want my stuff distracting me from what really matters, you, Brother, Daddy and ultimately God.  I don't want that for myself.  I don't want that for our family.