‘He’s your brother?’ I asked my friend incredulously. ‘I can’t believe what a small world it is.’ My friend looked at me oddly. ‘I told you that,’ She replied, confused. ‘I was wondering why you didn’t react.’
I cast my mind back to see if my friend was lying. She had, it was true, come over for tea last week, and we definitely talked. ‘I told you what he did,’ She continued. ‘And you nodded and asked if I wanted some brownie.’
‘Oh,’ I explained to my foolish friend. ‘I was cutting the brownie when you were talking. Of course I didn’t hear a word you said.’
I am not a fan of multi-tasking, which I believe is a very effective way of appearing distracted and rude, whilst doing several things badly. I do not like it when people check their emails whilst I am telling a story, or text whilst we are watching a movie.
I think it is disconcerting when you get a manicure at the same time as a pedicure, particularly if the person giving them is as intimidating as the tiny, furious Chinese woman who recently held me hostage with nothing more than a nail file and some toenail polish. (I like to be able to move at least some of my limbs at any given time. Safety first).
I am aware, however, that cutting a brownie and listening to someone talking possibly does not count as ‘multi-tasking’ in the traditional sense. I have therefore tried to improve my ability to do two things at once. This morning, for instance, I collected the post whilst drying myself with a towel. Which is really 3 things at once, as it came with a healthy dose of making fast friends with my new neighbors.
unfashionablylost 