I went on a walk with the dogs the other day and I was struck by how focused my dog can be on the ball and how distracted he can be when it’s not around. For better or worse he’s a chaser. A ball, frisbee, people, birds, cars, tractors, rabbits, lizards, doesn’t matter what it is, if it moves he’s after it. Here’s the thing, except for the toys, I don’t think he’d know what to do if he ever actually caught anything. Case in point, a couple days ago a bird was on the ground and he found it and just stared at it puzzled, not sure what to do next. Now my parents’ dog, she knew exactly what to do with a bird that can’t escape because she is a hunter. Patiently she’ll wait near gopher hole holes, wind rippling her fur muscles tense just waiting for a chance to pounce.
Here’s the question, how often am I like my dog, losing focus on what I’m entrusted to do and instead constantly running from one fleeting thought or conversation to the next? And on the other hand, how often am I like my parents’ dog, biding my time just waiting to pounce? Do I only listen when there’s a treat or is the Voice and the commands so ingrained I respond to their prompting even if it’s spoken in a whisper?
Taking this class, having discussions in the midst of some rather bizarre circumstances has shown me how easy it can be to lose focus, like my dog. It’s also taught me how easy it can be to focus on the wrong thing, like my parents’ dog. (Figuratively the wrong thing. I’m sure she’d tell you fresh food is not the wrong focus for a dog.)