The Second 50

All day, I’m surrounded by sound. The 9am-5pm chatter of busy workers, the rythym of keystrokes, mobile and desk phones ringing – first this one, then that one, and the enduring coughs of those who are battling the last annoying remnants of a seasonal virus.

I try hard to stay in my lane. In my head, with my own thoughts. To focus. To make progress on my to-do list.

But interruptions hit hard and hit constantly. Here comes the cleaning staff. Someone dropped something breakable on the floor in the kitchen. The meeting room speakers blaring so loudly the content can be heard three rooms away. Who forgot to turn it down after the last meeting? Wind pounds against the 10th story windows. It’s bitterly cold today. The printer starts up. Then stops. Then goes again.

All the while, I’m just over here maintaining a small voice print on the office. Quiet, studious, industrious.

Listen well, friends.