How much do we really have to pay attention to these days? We text and play games during events, watch or listen to news while we cook, check emails while we’re talking on the phone. It seems if we miss things, there are all kinds of ways to catch up and not much really demands that we stay focused.
But, thanks to my parents who insisted that we be doing something with our hands while we watched TV, I knit. However, my current project is with very fine yarn and I have to pay attention or I do the wrong stitch or drop stitches. Sometimes I miss part of the story because I’m doing the cable or lace part.
Well, now I’ve taken up another activity that demands focus and a bit of multi-tasking. I have joined one of the bell choirs at our church. I haven’t read music for 30 years and even though I’m only accountable for two bells at a time, the bells I play are fairly active. I have to count and anticipate my movements.
The multi-tasking comes in because at one point, I have to put a bell down and pick up another.
It is actually an incredible feeling to be so focused. I don’t think I remembered that aspect of reading and playing music and having hands doing two different things but I really like it.
Playing the bells is kind of like my knitting in that if I don’t follow along carefully, I miss notes or play at the wrong time. Knitting is definitely easier in that regard; I can always correct a stitch on the way back or even sew up a hole if I’ve goofed. But it is more satisfying to attend to the work and do it correctly the first time through.
Our choir will play again on Music Sunday in June – a tougher piece, I’m told, with some syncopation – oh geez!
wake up and write 
May 1st, 2012 at 9:20 am
It does feel good to focus, doesn’t it. It feels good to do something hard — something that takes a little concentration. I’ve felt this way with running lately. I keep making it harder each week. And even though it’s hard, I keep with it. In fact, I’m realizing because it’s hard I like it more. I wish I could hear your bell choir. It’s been a long time since the bell choir has played at my church.
Ruth
May 1st, 2012 at 9:32 am
How wonderful that you are in a handbell choir. We have a handbell choir for teachers at school. I love watching when they play with such deep concentration. I didn’t join because of the same reason, it seems complicated even when you have only few notes to follow. The music is great.
May 1st, 2012 at 11:03 am
“It is actually an incredible feeling to be so focused.” This is the line that stands out to me – isn’t it interesting how invigorating and satisfying it is, to have to pay close attention to something?
May 1st, 2012 at 11:26 am
Kids feel good when they stay focused and accomplish something, just as we do. There are few feelings as rewarding as this! They deserve that feeling, too! Holding them accountable and assisting them to keep focused to succeed is so necessary…not mean! I love the look of joy on their faces when they know they have scaled a mountainous task!
May 1st, 2012 at 3:31 pm
Very insightful question! And an interesting answer, too. You make me want to try…but we have no handbells at my church…I do love hearing them, and I have observed the focus it requires. I’ve never tried knitting, either. There is a group of ladies at church who meet to share needlework…they’ve taken up knitting socks. Maybe I’ll try…right now, though, I’ve been focusing on Slice of Life. I think writing a villanelle poem was one that took the most focus.
May 1st, 2012 at 6:56 pm
The idea of focus and multi-tasking seem like opposites the way you tell it- I agree! I connected with your talk about focus when knitting- I never
Learned how until we had our knitting club at school 2 years ago-it does take more focus when you are first learning or doing more tedious work…we noticed that when the kids would get to chatting during the knitting club, they would begin making more mistakes, which are ok, because they learned from them…
May 1st, 2012 at 8:23 pm
This is how I felt when I owned and rode my horse, totally into the concentration, not stressed, just focused. I think it’s good for one’s soul to do that, a moment similar to meditation. A nephew of ours is in a choir which we got to see once-lovely to hear! Thanks for the connections you made here.
May 2nd, 2012 at 6:39 pm
Focus is something that has come harder for me as I have grown older. I seem to have developed adult onset ADD. I make excuses and say there’s just too many things on my mind. You are so right about people being so distracted by many things these days.It seems like no one does one thing at a time any more. I think it is amazing that you knit. That’s a really hard skill, so to knit AND be able to even listen to TV is amazing. And how wonderful that you have joined the handbell choir! I wish you well with that endeavor. There is something so very beautiful about bell music. We haven’t had a performance in our church in a while – makes me wonder if our choir is still intact. That’s another thing I have never done. I did take piano lessons years ago. I hadn’t thought about syncopation in a while. Have fun with that!!
May 2nd, 2012 at 9:04 pm
How much do we really have to pay attention to these days?
An interesting question.
Playing the bells sounds so fun and exciting. Your mind will be like a fine tuned weapon.
May 6th, 2012 at 11:02 am
I love thinking of reading and playing music as multitasking. That hadn’t occurred to me before you said it, but of course it is. I’m also impressed that you’ve joined the bell choir. The music is so lovely and it seems to me that it must be so hard to get it right. So cool that you’ve taken this on!