Article December 2, 2019 Issue

What has my attention, and why?

Mary Mona Fisher

That’s a question worth asking ourselves frequently. There are usually many things vying, often screaming, for our attention—from commercials pitching their products and services to the constant chatter of public opinion on every topic imaginable. Approaching this barrage of information wisely enables us to determine the direction of our thinking and our daily lives.

A recent experience taught me a valuable lesson about the need to pause to assess the validity of what’s being presented. I had just left the grocery store and was driving home on a busy six-lane highway when a huge cloudburst drenched the roadway. It was one of those rains that challenges windshield wipers to keep pace and makes cars look like motorboats as they move forward.

Some drivers found a spot to pull over, while others proceeded cautiously, as I did. Finally, I came to a stoplight. Relaxing momentarily, I glanced out my side window, only to have my stomach drop and my foot reflexively slam on the brake. I was moving forward … or so I thought. But actually, my foot was already on the brake. Then I realized that the water flowing over the pavement had tricked me into thinking I was moving and about to hit the car in front of me.

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